ft 


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ENCB 


DlNGEE-MACGREGOR 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
LOS  ANGELES 


Ui 


SCIENCE  OF 
SUCCESSFUL 
THRESHING 


Dingee-MacGregor 

// 


Sixth  Edition,  Revised  and  Enlarged 


Published  by 

J.  I.  CASE   THRESHING  MACHINE   CO. 

INCORPORATED 

RACINE,  WIS. 
1911 


COPYRIGHTED  BY 

R.    T.    ROBINSON 

1899 
And 
1911 


HAMMOND  PRESS 
W.   B.  CONKEY  COMPANY 


iqn 

PREFACE 


THE  object  of  this  book  is  to  enable  the  owners 
and  the  operators  of  "Case"  Threshing  Machinery 
to  become  familiar  with  the  construction  and  op- 
eration of  their  engines  and  machines.  The  material  has 
been  gathered,  not  only  from  the  author's  personal  experi- 
ence, but  also  from  notes  taken  during  visits  to  the  outfits 
of  a  large  number  of  the  best  and  most  successful  thresher- 
men  in  various  localities.  The  aim  has  been  to  avoid  the- 
orizing and  only  such  statements  are  made  as  have  been 
demonstrated  practical,  by  actual  field  experience.  The 
fact  is  appreciated  that  it  is  impossible  to  lay  down  specific 
K  rules  for  operating  threshing  machinery,  under  the  ever 
varying  conditions  of  grain,  straw  and  weather,  but  it  is 
hoped  that  the  suggestions  herein  embodied  will  enable  a 
man  of  ordinary  intelligence  to  operate  his  machine  suc- 
cessfully, and  even  to  become  an  expert  himself. 

It  is  the  intention  to  continue  revising  it  from  time  to 
time,  and  with  this  aim  in  view,  suggestions  and  criticisms 
_j       will  be  welcomed  from  threshermen,  wherever  located,  to 
whom  this  little  volume  is  respectfully  dedicated, 

i 

| 

o  463253 

1 


CONTENTS 


For  Index,  see  pave  249 

PART  I.     ENGINES 

Page. 
Chapter          I     Fitting  Up  and  Starting  a  New  Engine 9 

II     The  Feed  "Water 15 

"  III     Firing  with  Various  Fuels 33 

"  IV     Lubrication  and  Adjustment  of  Bearings 43 

"  V     Handling  the  Engine 59 

"  VI     The    Engine    Proper 65 

VII     The   Valve   Gear 89 

VIII     The    Boiler    107 

IX     The   Traction    Gearing 121 

X     Water  Tanks    129 

"  XI     Horse   Powers    131 

PART  II.     SEPARATORS 

Page. 
Chapter  I     Starting  and  Setting  a  Separator 147 

II  The  Cylinder,   Concaves  and  Beater 153 

III  The  Straw-rack  and  Conveyor 167 

"  IV  The  Cleaning  Apparatus 169 

V  Threshing  with  a  Regularly  Equipped  Separator  .181 

VI  Threshing  with  a  Specially  Equipped  Separator.  .191 

VII  The  Pulleys  and  Belting  of  a  Separator 207 

VIII  Lubrication  and  Care  of  the  Separator 219 

IX  Feeding  the  Separator 227 

"  X  The   Straw   Stackers    233 

XI  The  Grain   Handlers    .  ...241 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Page 
Fig.      1  Left  Side  Elevation  of  Case  Traction  Engine  ..........      8 

2  Top  or  Plan  View  of  Case  Traction  Engine  ............  14 

3  Lime  in  Peed  Pipe  Nipple  .............................   16 

4  Sectional  View  of  Injector    ............................    22 

"         5  Sectional  View  of  Marsh  Pump    .......................    25 

6  Section  of  Check-Valve   ...............................   28 

7  Sectional  View  of  Cast    Shell    Heater  ..................    30 

8  Sectional  View  of  Steel   Shell   Heater    .................    31 

9  Sectional  View  of  Fire  Box  for  Burning-  Straw    .......   36 

10  Sectional  View  of  Fire  Box  for  Burning  Oil    ..........   38 

11  Sectional  View  of  "Ideal"    Cup   ........................   46 

12  Oil  Pump  Attached    ...................................    47 

13  "Swift"    Lubricator    ...................................    48 

14  The  Connecting-Rod    ..................................  61 

15  The  Cross-Head     ..........  ............................   53 

16  Board  used  in  Babbitting  Cannon  Bearing  .............    56 

17  Cannon  Bearing  in  Position  for  Babbitting  ............    57 

18  Side  Elevation  of  Engine  Proper  .......................    65 

19  Sectional  View  of  Simple  Cylinder  .....................   66 

20  Governor  for  Engine  ..................................   72 

21  Section  of  Governor  Valve   ............................   74 

22  Engine  Belted  to  Prony  Brake  ........................   79 

23  Prony  Brake  ..........................................    80 

24  Sectional  View  of  Woolf  Compounded  Cylinder  .........   84 

25  Face  of  Compounded  Valve  ............................    85 

26  Pipe  to  Steam  Plugs,  Compounded  Valve  ...............   86 

27  Center-Head  Packing    .................................    87 

28  The  Woolf  Reverse  Valve  Gear  ........................   90 

29  Tram  on  Disc  .........................................    94 

30  Tram  on  Cross  Head  ..................................   95 

31  Tram  on  Valve  Stem  ..................................    97 

32  Sectional  View  of  Boiler   ..............................  106 

33  Interior  of  Steam  Gage    ....  ...........................  108 

34  Section  of  Steam  Gage  Siphon  .........................  108 

35  Sectional  View  of  Pop  Valve  .........................    109 

36  Fusible  Plug  in  Section   ...............................  110 

37  Cut  Showing  Cannon  Bearing  and  Gearing  .............  122 

38  Friction  Clutch  of  Case  Engine  ........................  123 

39  Section  of  Hub  Portion  of  Clutch  ......................  124 

40  The  Differential  Gear,  Showing  Springs  ................  127 

41  Top  View  of  Power  with  Sweeps  Attached  .............  133 

42  Sectional  View  of  Iron   Frame   Horse   Power  ...........  143 

43  Sectional  View  of  Case  Separator   .....................  146 

44  Cut  Showing  Space  Between  Teeth   ....................  158 

45  Right    Side    of    Belt    Separator   with    Feeder    and   Wind 

Stacker  ...........................................  164 

46  Left  Side  of  Separator  with  Feeder,  Weigher   and  Wind 

Stacker   ...........................................  165 

47  Right  Side  of  Geared  Separator  with  Common  Stacker.  .166 

48  Shoe,  Showing  Position  of  Sieve  Rods  ..................  172 

49  Lip  Sieves    (reduced)    .................................  174 

50  Sieves  and  Screens  (full  size)    .........................  175 

51  Spacing  of  Holes  in  Leather  Belts  ......................  214 

52  Belt  Lacing  with  Ends  Turned  Up  .....................  214 

53  Lacing  for   Four  Inch  Leather   Belt  ....................  215 

54  Location  of  Holes  for  Lacing  Canvas  Belt  ..............  217 

55  Stitched  Canvas  Belt  Lacing  ...........................  218 

56  Sectional  View  of  Case  Feeder     .......................  229 

57  Sectional  View  of  Wind  Stacker    ......................  235 

58  Telescoping  Device   for  Straw-Chute    ..................  23»5 

59  Head  of  Case  Weigher  ................................  243 


PART  I.    ENGINES 


Page. 
Chapter          I     Fitting  Up  and  Starting  a  New  Engine 9 

IT     The  Feed  Water 15 

III  Firing  with  Various  Fuels 33 

IV  Lubrication  and  Adjustment  of  Bearings 43 

V     Handling   the   Engine 59 

VI     The  Engine  Proper 65 

VII     The   Valve   Gear 89 

VIII     The    Boiler    107 

IX     The   Traction    Gearing 121 

X     Water  Tanks    129 

"               XI  Horse   Powers    .                                                               .  .131 


CHAPTER   I 

FITTING  UP  AND  STARTING  A  NEW  ENGINE 

IN  packing  an  engine  for  shipment  it  is  usual  to  remove 
the  brass  fittings  to  prevent  their  being  stolen.  These, 

together  with  the  hose,  governor  belt  and  wrenches 
are  packed  in  a  box.  The  rod  for  the  flue  scraper  (and 
the  straw  fork,  for  straw  burning  boiler),  are  placed  in 
the  boiler  tubes  and  the  hose  and  funnel  for  filling  the 
boiler  are  placed  in  the  smoke-box.  The  fire-box,  ash- 
pan,  tubes  and  smoke-box  should  be  examined  to  insure 
the  removal  of  all  loose  parts  before  the  fire  is  started. 

Attaching  Brass  Fittings.  In  attaching  the  fittings  to 
the  boiler,  care  should  be  taken  to  screw  them  in  tightly 
enough  to  prevent  leaking.  Brass  expands  more  with  heat 
than  iron,  therefore  where  a  brass  fitting  screws  into  iron, 
the  joint  will  be  tighter  when  hot  than  when  cold :  conse- 
quently should  there  be  a  leakage  it  should  be  stopped  by 
screwing  the  fitting  in  a  little  further  when  cold.  In  screw- 
ing a  pipe  into  a  valve  or  other  fitting,  the  wrench  should 
be  used  on  the  end  of  the  valve  into  which  the  pipe  is  being 
screwed.  When  the  wrench  is  put  on  the  opposite  end, 
the  valve  body  is  subjected  to  a  twisting  strain  that  is  very 
liable  to  distort  and  ruin  the  seat.  The  blow-off  valve 


IO  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

and  other  valves  about  the  engine  should  be  so  attached 
that  the  pressure  will  be  on  the  under  side  of  the  valve 
seat.  Then  the  packing  around  the  valve  stem  can  leak 
only  when  the  valve  is  open,  and  may  be  renewed  under 
pressure  at  any  time  the  valve  is  shut.  A  valve  when  cold 
should  not  be  too  tightly  closed,  as  expansion  due  to  heat- 
ing will  force  the  valve  so  hard  against  its  seat  as  to 
injure  it. 

Starting  the  Fire.  When  the  fittings  are  all  in  place, 
fill  the  boiler  with  water,  by  means  of  the  funnel,  until 
the  glass  gage  shows  about  an  inch  and  one-half  of  water. 
This  is  on  the  assumption  that  the  boiler  is  level,  and  if 
not,  allowance  should  be  made  accordingly.  The  water 
will  run  in  faster  if  one  of  the  gage-cocks,  the  blower  or 
the  whistle  be  opened  to  allow  the  air  to  escape.  When 
coal  is  to  be  used  as  fuel,  wood  (if  available)  should  be 
used  to  start  the  fire,  the  grates  being  kept  well  covered 
until  steam  begins  to  show  on  the  gage.  If  wood  cannot 
be  obtained  for  starting  the  fire,  straw  may  be  substituted. 
Then,  if  it  be  desired  to  hasten  the  rise  of  steam,  the  blower 
may  be  started  and  coal  thrown  onto  the -fire. 

Oiling  the  Engine.  While  waiting  for  steam,  the 
grease  may  be  removed  from  the  bright  work  with  rags  or 
cotton  waste,  saturated  with  benzine  or  kerosene.  The  oil 
holes  and  cups  are  usually  filled  with  grease  at  the  factory 
to  keep  out  cinders  and  dirt  during  shipment  of  the  engine. 
This  grease  should  be  removed  and  the  oil  holes  care- 


FITTING  UP  AND  STARTING  A  NEW  ENGINE  II 

fully  cleaned  so  that  the  oil  may  reach  the  place  it  is  in- 
tended to  lubricate.  All  the  bearings  should  be  oiled,  the 
oil  cups  being  filled  with  good  machine  oil  or  cylinder  oil. 
Where  the  oil  box  is  large  enough,  it  should  be  filled 
with  a  little  wool  or  cotton  waste  in  order  to  keep  out  the 
dirt,  and  to  retain  the  oil.  Good  cylinder  oil  must  be  used 
in  the  lubricator  or  oil  pump.  It  is  a  good  plan  in  start- 
ing a  new  engine,  or  one  that  has  been  idle  for  some  time, 
to  lubricate  all  bearings  at  first  with  a  mixture  of  equal 
parts  of  kerosene  and  machine  oil.  The  engine  may  be 
then  run  a  few  minutes  and  afterwards  lubricated  with  un- 
thinned  oil,  but  it  should  not  be  put  to  work  until  this  has 
been  done. 

Starting  the  Engine  Proper.  When  the  gage  shows 
about  forty  pounds  of  steam,  the  cylinder  cocks  should  be 
opened  and  the  engine  started,  the  throttle  being  opened 
gradually  so  that  the  water  which  has  condensed  and  col- 
lected in  the  cylinder  may  have  a  chance  to  escape.  The 
reverse  lever  should  be  handled  as  explained  elsewhere  in 
this  book.  If  the  engine  does  not  start  when  the  throttle 
is  opened,  possibly  the  governor  stem  has  been  screwed 
down  sufficiently  to  shut  off  the  steam.  This  sometimes 
occurs  in  transportation.  As  soon  as  the  engine  is  run- 
ning, care  should  be  taken  to  see  that  the  oil-pump  or  lub- 
ricator is  started  properly.  The  bearings  should  be  felt 
of  to  determine  any  tendency  to  heat. 

In  starting  the  engine,  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that 


12  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

the  water  in  the  boiler  is  sufficient  for  only  a  few  minutes 
and  the  pump  or  injector  must  be  started  before  the  water 
gets  low  in  the  boiler. 

The  steam  pressure  should  now  be  raised  to  the  blow- 
ing-off  point  (say  130,  140,  or  160  pounds),  to  try  the 
pop  or  safety  valve.  If  it  does  not  open  at  this  pressure, 
pulling  the  lever  will  probably  start  it.  If  not,  it  is  out  of 
adjustment  and  should  be  re-set,  as  explained  elsewhere 
in  this  book. 

Starting  the  Traction  Parts.  When  the  engine  has 
been  run  a  sufficient  time  to  insure  everything  being  in  good 
running  order  (if  it  be  a  traction  engine),  preparations 
may  be  made  for  a  trip  on  the  road.  To  do  this,  the  trun- 
nion-ring of  the  friction-clutch  should  be  oiled  and  the 
shoes  adjusted  to  properly  engage  the  rim  of  the  fly-wheel. 
Any  paint  that  may  be  on  the  long  hub  of  the  arm  should 
be  scraped  off  to  allow  the  free  movement  of  the  ring,  which 
slides  thereon,  as  the  clutch  is  thrown  in  or  out  of  engage- 
ment. All  the  traction  gearing  should  now  be  lubricated, 
and  a  quantity  of  oil  poured  into  the  cannon-bearings. 
Next  the  stud  of  the  intermediate  gear,  the  bevel  pinions 
of  the  differential  gear,  and  the  bearings  of  the  steering- 
roller  and  hand-wheel  shaft  should  be  oiled.  The  steer- 
ing-chains should  be  properly  adjusted  as  elsewhere  ex- 
plained. 

Caution.  A  new  engine  should  have  close  attention  for 
the  first  few  days  until  the  bearings  become  smooth.  The 


PITTING  UP  AND  STARTING  A  NEW  ENGINE  1$ 

engine  has  been  run  in  the  testing-room  at  the  factory,  and 
it  is  probable  that  the  bearings  are  properly  adjusted. 
However,  they  should  be  felt  of  at  short  intervals,  and 
should  one  of  them  heat  to  any  extent,  it  will  be  best  to 
loosen  it  a  little.  The  heating  may  be  caused  by  grit.  A 
fast  speed  should  not  be  attempted  the  first  two  or  three 
trips  on  the  road,  but  the  engine  should  be  allowed  to  run 
below  its  normal  speed  until  bearings  are  smooth  and  the 
operator  becomes  accustomed  to  handling  the  engine.  In 
order  to  keep  the  valve  and  cylinder  well  lubricated,  during 
the  first  few  days  it  is  necessary  to  use  three  or  four  pints 
of  cylinder  oil  in  ten  hours,  the  quantity  depending  on  the 
size  of  engine.  Afterwards  the  amount  may  be  lessened, 
but  it  is  essential  that  cylinder  oil  be  fed  continually. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  FEED  WATER 

r  •  ^HE  feed  water  demands  the  constant  watchfulness 
of  the  engineer.  It  is  his  first  and  most  important 
duty  to  know  that  there  is  sufficient  water  in  the 
boiler  at  all  times.  If  he  relaxes  his  attention  to  it  for  even 
a  short  interval,  disastrous  results  are  likely  to  follow.  A 
modern  traction  engine  is  usually  fitted  with  two  separate 
and  independent  means  of  feeding  water  to  the  boiler. 
By  this  arrangement,  if  the  boiler  feeder  in  use  be  disabled 
at  any  time,  the  other  may  be  put  to  work  without  delay. 
These  feeders  should  receive  close  attention  and  each  be 
in  condition  to  work  at  a  moment's  notice.  If  either 
fails  to  work  properly  at  any  time,  it  should  be  repaired 
immediately.  It  is  essential  to  use  the  cleanest  water 
obtainable,  as  dirty  water  always  causes  trouble.  It  is  a 
good  plan  to  strain  the  water  as  it  passes  into  the  mounted 
tank,  by  placing  a  cotton  grain  sack  in  the  hole  so  that  it 
extends  to  the  bottom  of  the  tank.  For  this  purpose  a 
cheap  sack  of  coarse  open  texture  is  the  best.  The  mouth 
of  the  bag  can  be  turned  over  the  rim  around  the  hole  and 
tied  with  a  string  or  strap,  but  a  better  way  is  to  have  a 
hoop  that  just  fits  over  the  bag.  It  is  important  to  see 

15 


l6  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

that  the  suction  hose  and  connections  are  free  from  leaks. 
The  pipe  nipples,  which  screw  into  the  boiler  at  the  point 
at  which  the  feed  water  enters,  should  be  examined  oc- 
casionally, for  with  some  waters  they  "lime-up"  in  a 
remarkably  short  time.  This  accumulation  of  lime  is 

shown  in  the  accom- 
panying cut,  which  is 
reproduced  from  a  pipe 
nipple  taken  from  a 
FIG.  3.  LIME  IN  FEED  traction  engine.  When 

necessary  to  shut  down 

from  lack  of  water,  it  should  be  done  while  the  glass 
shows  at  least  half  an  inch,  as  the  water-level  will  fall 
that  much  when  the  engine  is  stopped,  thereby  allowing 
the  water  in  the  boiler  to  settle. 

What  to  do  when  water  docs  not  show  in  glass.  If  you 
find  that  the  water  has  been  allowed  to  get  below  the  glass 
gage  and  lower  gage  cock,  leaving  the  crown-sheet  bare, 
when  the  engine  has  been  standing  still  for  a  time,  bank 
the  fire  and  leave  the  engine  alone  until  it  cools.  If  it  be 
working  when  you  discover  the  water  is  out  of  the  glass, 
the  thing  to  do  is,  get  the  front  end  of  the  engine  up  at  once. 
Back  the  traction  wheels  into  ditch  or  furrow,  run  the  front 
wheels  up  hill  or  onto  a  wood  or  coal  pile,  or  use  any  means 
to  get  the  front  of  the  boiler  high.  If  in  soft  ground  there 
may  be  time  to  dig  holes  for  the  traction  wheels,  but  be 
quick  about  it.  In  the  meantime  keep  the  engine  moving 


THE  FEED  WATER  17 

in  order  to  slosh  the  water  over  the  crown-sheet.  When 
you  have  the  front  end  of  the  engine  up,  if  water  shows 
in  the  glass,  start  the  injector  and  let  it  run  until  the  boiler 
is  filled  to  its  normal  level.  If  you  are  unable  to  get  the 
engine  in  such  a  position  that  the  water  shows  in  the  glass, 
cover  the  fire  with  a  layer  of  ashes  or  earth  three  or  four 
inches  thick.  Do  not  attempt  to  pull  it  out,  as  stirring  it 
up  creates  intense  heat.  Having  banked  the  fire,  leave  the 
engine  alone  until  the  steam  goes  down.  By  doing  this, 
you  have  probably  prevented  the  fusible  plug  from  melt- 
ing, or,  what  is  vastly  more  serious,  burning  the  crown- 
sheet.  A  crown-sheet  that  has  been  burnt  is  greatly 
weakened,  probably  "bagged"  or  warped,  and  the  stay- 
bolts  so  strained  at  their  threads  that  it  is  impossible  to 
keep  them  from  leaking.  The  majority  of  explosions  of 
boilers  of  the  locomotive  type  are  caused  by  low  water 
and  the  consequent  burning  of  the  crown-sheet.  One  ex- 
perience with  low  water  should  be  a  sufficient  lesson  for 
all  time. 

Since  so  much  depends  upon  having  sufficient  water  in 
the  boiler,  the  gage-cocks  and  water-glass,  which  indicate 
the  amount  of  water,  should  be  kept  in  first-class  order. 

The  Gage-Cocks.  These  cocks  are  a  more  reliable 
means  of  indicating  the  amount  of  water  in  the  boiler  than 
the  water-glass,  although  not  so  convenient.  The  gage- 
cocks,  or  "try-cocks,"  as  they  are  sometimes  called,  should 
be  used  often  enough  to  prevent  them  from  becoming  filled 

2 


l8  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

with  lime  and  should  always  be  in  working  order.  When- 
ever opened,  the  steam  should  be  allowed  to  blow  through 
a  sufficient  time  to  clean  them.  They  should  then  be  closed 
moderately  tight,  and  then,  if  they  leak,  they  should  be 
opened  again  to  allow  any  dirt  or  scale  that  may  have 
lodged  on  the  seat  to  blow  out.  It  is  not  well  to  force  a 
gage-cock  or  other  valve  shut  to  stop  it  from  leaking,  for 
probably  it  is  leaking  because  a  bit  of  scale  is  preventing 
the  valve  from  "seating."  The  forcing  simply  presses 
this  bit  of  scale  or  other  foreign  matter  into  the  seat  and 
spoils  the  contact  surfaces  so  the  valve  will  continue  to 
leak  until  reground.  Gage-cocks  and  other  valves  on  the 
engine  should  not  be  closed  very  tightly  when  cold,  for 
when  heated,  the  expansion  of  the  metal  will  press  the 
valve  so  tightly  against  its  seat  as  to  injure  it. 

The  Water-Gage.  The  water-gage  should  be  blown 
out  once  each  day,  to  clean  the  glass  and  prevent  the  upper 
and  lower  connections  from  getting  filled  with  lime  or 
sediment.  To  blow  out  the  lower  connection,  which  is  the 
more  liable  to  become  clogged,  open  pet  cock  and  close  up- 
per valve.  Then  close  lower  valve  and  open  upper  one, 
which  will  blow  steam  through  the  upper  connection  and 
also  the  glass,  thereby  cleaning  it.  On  returning  to  the 
engine  in  the  morning,  or  after  dinner,  be  sure  that  no  one 
has  closed  the  valves  of  the  water-gage  during  your  ab- 
sence. If  this  has  been  done,  the  glass  might  show  plenty 
of  water,  while  in  reality,  the  water  in  the  boiler  has  been 


THE  FEED  WATER  Ip 

reduced  to  a  low  level  by  blowing  off  or  by  some  other 
cause.  A  stoppage  in  the  valves,  or  connections  of  the 
water  gage,  when  the  engine  is  running,  can  be  detected 
by  the  water,  which  will  appear  quite  still  instead  of  mov- 
ing a  little,  because  of  the  motion  of  the  engine.  The 
water  glass  should  be  kept  clean,  even  if  the  other  parts 
of  the  engine  be  neglected  in  this  respect.  A  dirty  glass 
indicates  that  the  engineer  is  careless  about  one  of  his 
most  important  duties.  The  glass  can  be  cleaned  at  any 
time  by  wiping  the  outside  and  blowing  steam  through  the 
inside.  It  is  only  necessary,  in  wiping,  to  see  that  it  is  not 
scratched  by  sand,  metal  or  the  like,  for  scratches  are 
likely  to  cause  it  to  break.  An  old  glass  with  a  coating  on 
the  inside  that  steam  will  not  blow  out,  may  be  cleaned  by 
removing  it  from  the  connections  and  running  a  piece  of 
waste  or  cloth  through  it  with  a  stick.  Touching  a  glass  on 
the  inside  with  a  piece  of  metal  of  any  kind  is  almost  sure 
to  scratch  it  so  that  it  will  crack  when  the  steam  is  turned 
on. 

Packing  the  Water-Glass.  The  best  method  of  pack- 
ing the  water  glass  is  by  means  of  the  rubber  gaskets  made 
for  the  purpose.  These  may  be  purchased  for  a  few  cents. 
Candle  wicking,  hemp  or  asbestos  is  sometimes  used,  but 
any  one  of  these  packings  is  liable  to  become  displaced  and 
cause  trouble.  The  author  has  in  mind  a  case  in  which  a 
crown  sheet  was  badly  burnt  because  of  the  glass  not  show- 
ing the  true  level  of  the  water  in  the  boiler.  The  candle 


20  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

wicking,  with  which  it  was  packed,  was  forced,  by  the 
tightening  of  the  packing-nut,  over  the  lower  end  of  the 
glass,  practically  shutting  off  the  water. 

Broken  Water-Glass.  In  case  the  water  glass  breaks 
when  the  boiler  is  under  pressure,  shut  both  valves  to  stop 
the  escape  of  steam  and  water.  The  engine  can  be  run  by 
gage-cocks  until  a  new  glass  may  be  obtained.  If  a  new 
glass  be  at  hand,  it  may  be  put  in  at  once,  but  care  should 
be  taken  to  heat  it  gradually,  for  if  the  steam  be  turned  on 
suddenly,  it  will  break. 

Injectors.  The  injector  has,  of  late  years,  reached 
such  a  state  of  perfection  as  to  make  it  the  most  conven- 
ient of  all  the  types  of  boiler  feeders.  Although  economi- 
cal in  itself,  it  does  not  equal,  in  ultimate  economy,  a  pump 
used  in  connection  with  a  heater.  The  question  naturally 
arises :  if  it  be  economy  to  use  a  heater  in  connection  with 
the  pump,  why  not  with  the  injector  as  well?  Were  the 
feed  water  from  the  injector  piped  through  the  heater,  but 
little  would  be  gained  thereby,  because  the  injector  delivers 
water  so  hot,  that  it  would  absorb  but  little  additional  heat 
during  its  passage  through  the  heater.  Consequently,  the 
pump,  with  heater,  is  the  more  economical  because  it  util- 
izes heat  from  the  engine  exhaust  (which  would  otherwise 
be  wasted),  to  heat  the  water,  while  the  injector  heats  it 
by  means  of  live  steam  taken  from  the  boiler.  It  is  not 
usual,  therefore,  to  pipe  the  feed  water  from  an  injector 
through  a  heater. 


THE  FEED  WATER  21 

To  Start  the  "Penberthy"  Injector.  With  pressure 
under  sixty-five  pounds,  the  valve  in  the  suction  pipe  should 
be  opened  one  turn,  the  steam  valve  may  then  be  opened 
wide.  The  injector  will  probably  start  off  at  once,  but 
should  water  run  from  the  overflow,  the  suction  valve 
should  be  slowly  throttled  until  it  "picks  up."  If  hot  steam 
and  water  issue  from  the  overflow,  the  suction  should  be 
opened  wider.  A  little  practice  will  enable  one  to  set  the 
valve  at  any  pressure,  so  that  it  is  simply  necessary  to  turn 
on  the  steam  to  start  the  injector.  At  a  pressure  of  sixty- 
five  pounds  or  over,  the  water  supply  valve  may  be  opened 
wide,  but  it  is  better  partly  to  close  it,  as  the  injector  will 
deliver  hotter  water  when  the  supply  is  throttled.  The  in- 
jector must  be  regulated  by  the  suction  valve,  and  not  by 
attempting  to  regulate  it  by  the  steam  valve.  The  "Pen- 
berthy" admits  of  considerable  steam  variation.  At  thir- 
ty-five pounds  steam  pressure,  the  valve  in  suction  may  be 
opened  as  wide  as  it  will  stand  and  steam  can  rise  to  over 
one  hundred  pounds  without  further  adjusting. 

What  to  do  when  the  Injector  Fails  to  Work.  See  that 
the  suction  hose  and  connections  are  tight.  The  delivery 
pipe  may  be  "limed  up"  where  it  enters  the  boiler.  A  leaky 
check  valve  will  keep  the  injector  so  hot  as  to  prevent  it 
from  "picking  up"  water.  Dirt  may  be  lodged  in  the 
chamber  where  jets  "R"  and  "S"  meet,  or  in  the  jet 
"Y,"  the  drill  holes  or  the  main  passage  way.  The 
jets  may  be  coated  with  lime,  and  if  so,  they  should  be 


22 


SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 


STEAM. 


soaked  in  a  solution  composed  of  one  part  of  muriatic 
acid  and  ten  parts  of  water.  Occasionally  soak  the  whole 
injector.  Do  not  expect  an  injector  to  work  well,  espe- 
cially at  high  pressure,  if  the  tank  be  full  of  dirt  and 
rubbish.  Sometimes  an  injector  will  work  well  for  a 

long  time,  and  then  begin 
to  drizzle  at  the  overflow 
under  the  same  pressure  at 
which  it  once  worked  well. 
This  indicates  that  the 
passage-ways  in  jets  are 
either  worn  or  are  con- 
tracted with  lime.  If  re- 
moving the  lime  does  not 
remedy  the  trouble,  the 
overflow  valve  may  leak. 
To  regrind  it,  remove  cap 
"Z"  and  spread  a  little 
flour  of  emery,  mixed  with 
oil  or  soap,  between  the 
valve  "P"  and  its  seat. 
Then  with  a  screw  driver, 
turn  valve  "P"  back  and  forth,  which  will  grind  it  to  a 
seat.  If  the  injector  be  not  improved,  it  is  safe  to  conclude 
that  some  of  the  jets  are  worn  and  must  be  renewed.  These 
are  sold  separately,  and  are  listed  in  the  thresherman's 
Supply  Catalogs.  If  in  doubt  as  to  which  jet  is  at  fault, 


FIG.    4.      SECTIONAL   VIEW   OF 
INJECTOR. 


THE  FEED  WATER  23 

procure  all  of  them  and  try  one  after  another  until  the 
injector  works  properly.  Any  unused  jets  that  have  not 
been  inserted  may  be  returned. 

Independent  Pumps.  This  is  the  name  given  to  pumps 
for  feeding  a  boiler,  which  are  operated  independently  of 
the  engine.  They  are,  in  fact,  small  engines  in  themselves, 
connected  directly  to  double-acting  pump  plungers.  An 
independent  pump  can  be  run  whether  the  engine  is  run- 
ning or  not,  but  as  the  heater  is  effective  only  when  the  en- 
gine is  running,  it  is  best,  on  boilers  having  both  pump  and 
injector,  to  use  the  injector  when  the  engine  is  not  running. 
The  Marsh  pump  has  an  exhaust  valve  for  turning  the  ex- 
haust of  the  pump  in  with  the  feed  water.  This,  of  course, 
heats  the  feed  water  and  renders  the  pump  more  economi- 
cal. If,  for  any  reason,  it  is  desired  to  use  the  pump  when 
the  engine  is  not  running,  the  exhaust  should  be  turned  in, 
in  order  to  heat  the  water  before  it  enters  the  boiler.  At 
other  times,  however,  we  advise  engineers  to  allow  the 
pump  to  exhaust  into  the  air.  The  most  of  the  trouble 
with  these  pumps  is  due  to  insufficient  lubrication,  and  the 
successful  operators  use  plenty  of  cylinder  oil.  If  the  ex- 
haust be  turned  in  at  all  times,  this  cylinder  oil  is  carried 
into  the  boiler  where  it  accumulates,  in  some  cases  in  suf- 
ficient quantities  to  render  it  dangerous  to  the  plates  of  the 
boiler.  Consequently,  for  this  reason  and  also  because  the 
pump  is  more  easily  "kept  up"  when  exhausting  in  the  air, 
we  do  not  advise  turning  the  exhaust  into  the  feed  water. 


24  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

Starting  the  "Marsh"  Pump.  Before  attaching  the 
lubricator,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  pour  some  cylinder  oil  into 
the  pipe.  To  start  the  pump,  first  see  that  the  valve  in  the 
feed  pipe,  between  the  check  valve  and  the  boiler,  is  open, 
and  that  the  exhaust  lever  is  thrown  towards  the  steam  end 
of  the  pump.  The  steam  may  now  be  turned  on,  and  if 
the  piston  rod  does  not  move  back  and  forth,  tap  the 
starter-pins  very  lightly.  It  is  well  to  run  the  pump  with- 
out water  until  thoroughly  oiled,  but  as  soon  as  it  is  run- 
ning smoothly,  the  suction-hose  end  may  be  submerged. 
Opening  the  cock  with  the  thread  for  attaching  the  sprink- 
ling hose  or  the  small  air-cock  in  the  water  chamber  will 
aid  the  pump  in  "picking  up"  water. 

When  the  Pump  Will  Not  Start,  i.  If  the  pump 
does  not  start  when  steam  is  turned  on,  push  the  starter- 
pins  alternately,  to  see  if  the  valve  moves  easily  back  and 
forth.  If  the  valve  sticks,  do  not  hammer  the  starter-pins 
or  force  them  too  hard,  but  remove  the  valve  in  order  to 
locate  the  trouble.  This  is  done  by  removing  the  steam 
chest  heads  through  which  the  starter-pins  pass,  and  un- 
screwing the  valve,  which  is  done  by  holding  one  end  while 
unscrewing  the  other,  by  means  of  the  two  special  socket 
wrenches  furnished  for  the  purpose.  If  the  pump  has 
been  idle  for  a  time,  the  valve  may  be  rusty  or  gummy,  in 
which  case  it  should  be  cleaned  with  kerosene  oil.  Before 
replacing  the  caps,  push  the  valve  back  and  forth  as  far  as 
it  will  go  and  see  that  it  is  perfectly  free.  Also  see  that 


THE  FEED  WATER  25 

the  starter-pins  are  free  and  have  not  become  loosened  or 
stuck  by  tight  packing.  Pull  them  out  as  far  as  they  will 
go.  2.  The  steam  pipe  may  be  obstructed  so  that  the 
pump  does  not  receive  a  sufficient  supply  of  steam.  3. 
Remove  the  cylinder  heads  and  see  that  the  piston  moves 
freely,  and  that  the  nut  on  the  water  end  of  the  piston  rod 
is  properly  tightened.  This  nut  may  have  worked  partly 


FIG.    5.      SECTIONAL  VIEW    OF   MARSH    PUMP. 

or  entirely  off,  thus  preventing  a  complete  stroke.  4.  Re- 
move the  steam  chest  and  see  that  the  small  "trip"  holes 
near  the  steam  chest  and  the  corresponding  holes  in  the 
steam  cylinder  are  open.  If  the  pump  has  been  idle  for  a 


26  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

time,  these  holes  are  liable  to  have  become  stopped  with 
rust.  Before  replacing  the  steam  chest,  see  that  the  pack- 
ing is  in  good  order.  5.  If  the  pump  has  been  in  use 
some  time,  or  has  not  been  sufficiently  oiled,  the  valve  may 
have  become  worn  and  leaky.  This  is  not  so  likely  to  oc- 
cur on  the  "C"  size,  as  on  the  smaller  pumps.  When  it 
does  happen,  the  remedy  is  a  new  valve  and  steam  chest. 

When  the  Pump  will  not  Lift  Water.  If  the  pump 
runs  all  right  when  steam  is  turned  on,  but  will  not  "pick 
up"  water,  opening  the  drain  cock  in  the  boiler  feed  pipe 
will  relieve  the  pressure  on  the  discharge  valves,  i.  See 
that  the  suction  hose  and  its  connections  are  free  from  leaks 
and  that  the  screen  is  not  covered  with  rags,  waste,  leaves 
or  the  like.  If  this  hose  has  been  in  use  for  some  time,  see 
that  it  is  sufficiently  firm  not  to  collapse  or  flatten,  and  that 
its  rubber  lining  has  not  become  loosened  so  as  to  choke 
or  stop  the  water  supply.  2.  Remove  the  air  chamber 
and  look  for  dirt  under  the  water  valves.  3.  If  the  pump 
has  been  in  use  for  a  time  the  water-piston  packing  may 
leak.  Where  dirty  water  is  used,  this  packing  must  be 
frequently  renewed.  Directions  for  re-packing  are  given 
below. 

When  the  Pump  almost  stops  after  lifting  water,  the 
trouble  is  in  the  delivery  or  feed  pipe.  This  may  be  proved 
by  opening  the  cock  in  this  pipe  which  will  relieve  the  pres- 
sure and  allow  the  pump  to  run  faster.  Possibly  the  angle 
valve  near  the  boiler  has  been  left  closed.  The  check  valve 


THE  FEED  WATER  2/ 

in  the  feed  pipe  should  be  examined,  for  which  purpose  the 
valve,  between  it  and  the  boiler,  can  be  closed.  If  nothing 
be  found,  the  stem  should  be  removed  from  the  valve  or  the 
plug  removed  from  the  tee  so  as  to  expose  the  opening 
through  the  pipe  nipple  which  enters  the  boiler ;  probably 
this  pipe  will  be  found  nearly  filled  with  lime  at  the  point 
at  which  it  enters  the  boiler  as  shown  in  Fig.  3,  on  page  16. 
This  may  be  cleaned  by  driving  a  bolt  into  it.  Of  course, 
the  angle  valve  stem  or  plug  can  only  be  removed  when  the 
boiler  is  cold. 

Packing  the  Pump.  The  successful  operation  of  this 
pump  depends  very  much  upon  the  manner  in  which  the 
water  piston  and  other  parts  are  packed.  In  renewing  the 
piston  packing,  do  not  compress  it  too  much.  See  that  it 
is  of  sufficient  thickness  to  a  little  more  than  fill  the  space 
between  the  inner  and  outer  follower  heads.  This  will 
allow  the  packing  to  be  compressed  slightly  before  the  fol- 
lower heads  are  forced  together.  On  the  other  hand,  if 
the  space  between  the  follower  heads  be  not  completely 
filled,  leakage  will  result.  When  properly  packed,  the  pis- 
ton may  be  readily  moved  by  hand.  The  nut  on  the  end 
of  the  piston  rod  should  be  tightened  to  bring  the  follower 
to  place.  The  packing  between  the  steam  chest  and  the 
cylinder  should  be  made  of  heavy  manilla  paper  or  light 
rubber,  and  must  be  patterned  from  the  planed  surface  top 
of  the  steam  cylinder  (not  the  lower  part  of  the  chest), 
and  all  holes  must  be  carefully  duplicated,  so  that  the  drilled 


28 


SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL,  THRESHING 


holes  at  each  end  are  wholly  unobstructed  at  their  points 
of  register  with  the  corresponding  holes  in  the  chest.  The 
packing  under  the  valve  plate  must  be  patterned  from  the 
faced  top  of  water  cylinder,  and  the  packing  over  the  valve 
plate  from  the  bottom  face  of  the  air  chamber.  The  steam 
cylinder  head  must  not  be  packed  with  anything  thicker 
than  heavy  paper  or  the  thinnest  rubber.  If  a  thick  gasket 
be  used,  the  piston  will  overrun  the  ports,  and  its  operation 
be  interfered  with. 

Check-Valves.  A  check-valve  allows  the  water  or 
other  fluid  to  flow  in  one  direction,  by  the  valve  rising 
from  its  seat,  but  when  water  attempts  to  "back  up,"  or 

flow  in  the  opposite  direction, 
the  valve  prevents  this  by 
closing.  With  any  style  of 
boiler- feeder,  a  check- valve 
is  placed  in  the  feed-pipe, 
and  usually  near  the  boiler. 
Between  the  check-valve  and 
boiler  is  placed  a  globe  or  an- 
gle valve  which  may  be 


closed,    allowing    the    check 

FIG.  6.      SECTION  OF  CHECK  VALVE. 

valve  to  be  opened  when  the 

boiler  is  under  steam  pressure.  If  the  pump  or  injector 
shows,  by  heat  or  other  indications,  that  water  and  steam 
are  "backing  up"  through  the  feed  pipes  from  the  boiler, 
it  indicates  that  the  check-valve  is  not  acting.  When  the 


THE  FEED  WATER  29 

valve  "sticks"  and  will  not  close,  a  very  slight  tap  may 
cause  it  to  "seat,"  but  if  this  does  not,  close  the  valve  be- 
tween it  and  boiler,  then  take  off  the  cap  and  remove  dirt 
or  scale  that  may  be  preventing  it  from  closing  tightly.  If 
no  foreign  matter  be  found,  examine  the  valve  and  seat  to 
determine  if  the  contact  surfaces  be  perfect.  If  scale  be 
found  adhering  to  either,  it  should  be  removed,  but  if  it  be 
"pitted,"  regrinding  is  necessary.  Although  a  slight  tap 
will  often  cause  a  check- valve  to  seat,  it  is  poor  practice  to 
constantly  or  violently  hammer  the  valve,  as  the  seat  may 
be  distorted,  and  the  entire  valve  ruined  thereby.  Many 
valves  are  also  distorted  and  ruined  because  a  wrench 
has  been  used  on  one  end  while  screwing  a  pipe  into  the 
other.  Many  valves  are  burst  during  cold  weather  by 
frost.  To  prevent  this,  the  angle  valve  near  boiler  must 
be  closed  and  the  check-valve  and  pipe  drained. 

Regrinding  Check-Valves.  Many  engineers  discard 
leaky  valves  as  worthless,  in  ignorance  of  the  ease  with 
which  they  may  be  re-ground.  The  swing  check  is  easily 
re-ground  without  disconnecting  it  from  the  pipe.  To  re- 
grind,  unscrew  angle  plug,  put  a  little  flour  of  emery,  mixed 
with  oil  or  soap,  on  the  bottom  of  valve  and  turn  it  back 
and  forth  with  a  screw  driver  until  the  contact  surfaces 
are  perfect. 

Feed-Water  Heaters.  A  feed-water  heater  heats  the 
feed  water  delivered  by  the  pump,  by  passing  it  over  sur- 
faces heated  with  exhaust  steam  from  the  engine.  In  this 


SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 


way,  the  feed  water  carries  into  the  boiler  the  heat  it  has 
absorbed  from  the  exhaust  steam,  which  would  otherwise 
be  wasted.  The  interior  of  the  "Case"  heater  with  cast 
shell  is  shown  in  section  in  Fig1.  7. .  Tubes  (three  or  more 
in  number),  are  tightly  calked  in  the  inner  heads  and  inner 
pipes  pass  through  the  tubes,  their  ends  being  held  in  place 
by  sockets  cast  on  the  outer  heads.  These  heads  are  se- 
cured by  four  stud  bolts,  which  screw  into  the  heater  body, 


,  OUTER  HEAD 

/INNER  HEAD 


EXHAUST  ~ 
STEAM 


HEATER  SHELL 


INNER  PIPE  {  OUTER  TUBE 


INNER  PIPE 


HOT  WATER 
TO  BOILER 


INNER  HEAD' 
DRAIN  - 
OUTER  HEAD" 


FIG.   7-      SECTIONAL  VIEW   OF   "CASE"   CAST-SHELL   HEATER. 


and  are  made  tight  by  gaskets.  The  exhaust  from  the  en- 
gine enters  the  heater  from  the  cylinder,  surrounding  the 
tubes,  and  passing  out  to  the  smoke  stack  at  the  opposite 
end  as  shown.  The  water  from  the  pump  enters  through 
the  head  at  the  right  and  passes  out  at  the  other  end  into 
the  pipe  leading  to  the  boiler.  In  going  through  the  heater, 
the  water  is  obliged  to  pass  through  the  annular  spaces 
formed  by  the  inside  of  tubes  and  the  outside  of  pipes,  in 
films  about  one-eighth  of  an  inch  thick. 

Two  cocks  are  screwed  into  the  bottom  of  the  heater, 
one  of  which  drains  the  steam  space  and  the  other  the 


THE  FEED  WATER  31 

water  space.  The  steam  space  may  be  drained  before 
starting  the  engine,  in  order  to  prevent  water  from  being 
thrown  from  the  smoke-stack.  Both  water  and  steam 
space  must  be  drained  in  cold  weather,  to  prevent  freezing. 
The  "Case"  steel-shell  feed-water  heater,  as  shown  in 
Fig.  8,  is  constructed  in  the  same  manner  as  a  small  tubu- 
lar boiler.  The  tubes  are  expanded  in  the  flanged  heads 
at  each  end  of  heater.  The  exhaust  inlet  and  outlet  elbows 
are  clamped  tight  against  the  ends  of  heater  by  a  long  bolt 


FIG.    8.      SECTIONAL   VIEW    OF    "CASE"  STEEL-SHELL  HEATER. 

(or  bolts)  passing  from  one  to  the  other.  The  feed  water 
surrounds  the  tubes  and  the  exhaust  steam  passes  through 
them.  The  hot  water  is  discharged  to  the  boiler  on  the  un- 
der side  of  heater,  but  it  is  taken  from  the  top,  the  water 
passing  behind  an  annular  flanged  plate  that  leads  it  to  the 
outlet.  Only  the  pressure  of  exhaust  steam  is  brought  to 
bear  against  the  packing  joints.  This  form  of  heater  has 
proved  to  be  very  efficient,  and  the  interior  is  readily  acces- 
sible by  removing  the  exhaust  inlet  and  outlet  elbows. 


32  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

Testing  and  Repairing  the  Heater.  If  you  suspect 
that  the  heater  leaks,  on  engines  with  independent  pumps, 
it  may  be  tested  as  follows :  First  drain  the  exhaust  space 
by  opening  the  cock ;  then  start  the  pump,  but  let  the  engine 
stand  still.  If  water  continues  to  issue  from  this  cock,  it 
shows  that  the  heater  leaks.  Repairs  are  easily  made  by 
removing  the  heads.  The  tubes  in  either  style  of  heater 
may  be  tightened  or  renewed  if  necessary,  in  exactly  the 
same  manner  as  those  in  the  boiler. 


CHAPTER   III 
FIRING  WITH  VARIOUS  FUELS 

TO  maintain  a  uniform  steam  pressure  with  any  kind 
of  fuel,  the  draft  should  be  sufficient  and  the  fire 
should  be  supplied  with  air  from  below.  No  cold 
air  should  be  allowed  to  get  to  the  tubes  except  by  passing 
through  live  coals  that  may  ignite  fresh  fuel.  The  cone 
screen  in  the  stack  should  be  straight  and  the  exhaust  noz- 
zle should  be  of  the  proper  size  and  pointed  straight  with 
the  stack.  This  latter  is  of  great  importance. 

The  ash  pan  must  not  be  allowed  to  fill  up,  or  warped 
and  melted  grates  are  sure  to  result.  There  is  no  excuse 
for  allowing  the  ash  pan  to  fill  up,  and  a  good  engineer 
never  permits  it  to  do  so.  With  coal,  wood  or  oil,  the 
firing  is  done  by  the  engineer,  but  with  straw  for  fuel,  it 
is  usual  to  have  an  extra  man  or  boy  for  this  purpose. 

How  to  Fire  with  Coal.  Keep  the  grates  well  covered, 
but  with  as  thin  a  fire  as  possible.  Do  not  throw  in  large 
lumps  of  coal  or  put  in  very  much  at  a  time.  A  thin  fire 
lightly  and  frequently  renewed  is  the  most  economical. 
The  engine  should  be  allowed  to  blow  off  once  a  day  to  see 
if  the  steam  gage  and  pop  valve  agree,  but  if  the  pop  valve 

3  33 


34  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

frequently  opens,  it  is  an  indication  that  the  fireman  is 
either  careless  or  unable  to  control  his  fire. 

The  best  way  to  check  the  rise  of  steam  is  to  start  the 
injector,  but  if  the  boiler  be  too  full,  the  damper  may  be 
closed.  Another  way  is  to  open  the  fire  door  about  an 
inch,  leaving  the  damper  open,  but  the  door  should  never 
be  held  open  more  than  this  amount.  This  will  do  no 
harm  to  tubes  or  boiler,  but  while  the  engine  is  running 
the  door  should  never  be  opened  when  the  damper  is  closed. 
When  the  engine  is  to  be  shut  down  for  any  length  of  time 
the  smoke-box  door  may  be  opened  to  check  the  fire. 

Some  grades  of  coal  will  form  clinkers  that  cover  the 
grates  and  shut  off  the  air  supply.  These  must  be  kept 
out  by  removing  through  the  fire  door,  but  do  not  use  the 
poker  when  it  can  be  avoided,  or  keep  the  door  open  longer 
than  is  necessary,  since  stirring  the  fire  only  makes  matters 
worse.  When  troubled  with  clinkers,  make  it  a  point  to 
clean  the  fire  at  noon  or  at  any  time  the  engine  may  be 
stopped.  The  tubes  should  be  cleaned  at  least  once  a  day. 

One  or  two  of  the  bricks  for  straw  burners  can  be  used 
to  advantage  in  burning  coal.  They  make  better  combus- 
tion with  poor  coal,  render  the  fire  easier  to  control  and  by 
maintaining  a  more  uniform  heat  in  the  fire-box,  are  easier 
on  the  boiler. 

How  to  Fire  with  Wood.  The  manner  of  firing  with 
wood  depends  entirely  upon  the  fuel,  and  must  be  learned 
by  experience.  When  the  wood  is  soft,  or  the  sticks  small 


FIRING  WITH  VARIOUS  FUELS  35 

or  crooked,  it  will  be  necessary  to  lay  the  pieces  as  com- 
pactly as  possible,  and  keep  the  fire-box  full  all  the  time. 
Straight,  heavy  sticks  of  hardwood,  on  the  other  hand, 
must  be  placed  so  that  the  flames  can  pass  freely  between 
them.  The  rear  draft  door  should  be  opened  wide  and  the 
front  one  opened  only  enough  to  admit  sufficient  air.  See 
that  the  front  end  of  the  grates  (next  to  the  tube  sheet)  is 
kept  well  covered.  If  cold  air  be  allowed  to  pass  through 
to  the  tubes  at  this  point,  the  draft  will  be  destroyed.  To 
get  satisfactory  results,  it  is  often  necessary  to  cover  the 
front  end  of  the  grates,  for  a  space  of  eight  inches,  with  a 
"dead-plate."  A  wood  fire  requires  an  occasional  leveling, 
but  as  with  coal  it  is  a  good  plan  not  to  use  the  poker  more 
than  is  absolutely  necessary.  In  leveling  do  not  disturb 
the  hot  coals  on  the  grates.  In  firing  with  wood  it  is  ad- 
visable to  keep  the  screen  in  the  smoke-stack  down,  as  there 
is  more  danger  of  throwing  sparks  with  wood  than  with 
coal. 

How  to  Fire  with  Straw.  At  one  time,  the  return- 
flue  type  of  boiler  was  considered  the  only  successful  one 
for  straw,  but  these  are  now  almost  obsolete  and  modern 
straw  burning  engines  are  all  of  the  direct  flue  type.  The 
Case  straw  burners  are  the  same  as  the  coal  burners,  except 
that  they  are  fitted  with  straw  grates,  dead-plates,  a  brick 
arch  and  a  straw  chute  and  the  boiler  is  lagged.  ( See  Fig. 
9.)  Any  Case  engine,  except  the  eighteen  and  thirty 
horse-power,  can  be  made  to  burn  straw  by  making  these 
changes. 


SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 


When  firing  with  straw,  keep  the  chute  full  all  the  time, 
so  that  no  cold  air  can  get  in  on  top  of  the  fire.  Take 
small  forkfuls  and  let  each  bunch  of  straw  push  the  preced- 
ing one  into  the  fire.  Occasionally  turn  the  fork  over  and 
run  it  in  below  the  straw  in  the  chute  to  break  down  and 

-WAGON  TOP 


HAND  HOLE 


FIRE  BOX 
_   TUBE  HEAD 


FIG.    9-      SECTIONAL    VIEW    OF   FIRE-BOX    FOR    BURNING    STRAW. 

level  up  the  fire.  Three  grates,  spaced  equally  across  the 
fire  box,  are  better  than  more.  Keep  about  fifteen  inches 
of  the  front  of  the  ash  pan  clean,  to  allow  plenty  of  draft, 
but  let  ashes  fill  up  in  the  rear  part.  Four  bricks  must  be 
used.  Keep  rear  draft  door  shut. 

The  flame  coming  over  the  brick  arch  as  seen  through 


FIRING  WITH  VARIOUS  FUELS  37 

the  peep  hole  should  appear  white  hot,  and  should  be  con- 
tinuous and  not  be  stopped  or  checked  each  time  the  straw 
is  pushed  in,  as  will  be  the  case  if  firing  be  too  heavy  or  too 
much  be  put  in  at  a  time.  Sometimes  straw,  especially 
when  damp,  is  pulled  over  against  the  ends  of  the  tubes. 
This  may  be  scraped  off  with  the  poker,  through  the  peep- 
hole. The  tubes  should  be  cleaned  twice  a  day. 

The  draft  should  be  strong  enough  to  make  the  fire 
burn  freely  and  at  a  white  heat.  It  may  be  necessary  to 
reduce  the  exhaust  nozzle  to  get  the  proper  draft,  but  it 
should  never  be  reduced  more  than  is  necessary,  as  back 
pressure  reduces  the  power  of  the  engine.  If  unburnt 
straw  be  seen  coming  out  of  the  smoke-stack,  it  shows  that 
the  exhaust  nozzle  is  too  small.  Do  not  expect  the  engine 
to  steam  well  when  the  front  end  of  the  boiler  is  low.  The 
engine  should  be  level  or  a  little  high  in  front.  If  the  en- 
gine -has  been  steamed  up  for  some  time  without  running, 
the  screen  in  the  smoke-stack  may  be  so  filled  up  as  to  seri- 
ously interfere  with  the  draft. 

Brick  Arch.  For  successful  straw  burning,  it  is  im- 
portant that  the  brick  arch  be  tight  so  that  no  air  can  pass 
through  it,  especially  in  front  near  the  tube-sheet.  It  is 
best  to  close  all  the  joints  and  crevices  with  fire-clay,  if  it 
is  to  be  had,  or  if  not,  common  clay  may  be  used  and  it  is  a 
very  good  substitute,  especially  if  it  be  mixed  with  salt 
water.  Even  common  earth  lasts  very  well  if  mixed  with 
salt  water. 

463252 


38  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL,  THRESHING 

Peep  Hole.  All  "Case"  boilers  except  the  eighteen 
and  thirty  H.  P.  have  an  opening  on  the  left  side  near  the 
front  of  the  fire-box  known  as  the  "peep  hole."  This  is 
used  on  straw-burning  boilers  to  allow  the  operator  to 


USIBLE  PLUG 
O — O  — O  — O  — 


TUBE  HEAD 


FIG.    IO.      SECTIONAL  VIEW   OF   FIRE-BOX   FOR   BURNING   OIL. 

observe  the  flame  passing  over  the  brick  arch  and  to  re- 
move straw  from  the  tube-ends  in  case  it  is  drawn  over  the 
brick  arch.  As  with  the  fire-door,  the  peep-hole  should 
not  be  kept  open  longer  than  necessary. 

How  to  Fire  with  Oil.  The  "Case"  oil-burning  engines 


FIRING  WITH  VARIOUS  FUELS  39 

are  similar  to  the  "straw-burners"  except  that  only  three 
of  the  arch  bricks  are  used.  The  regular  coal-burning 
grates  are  used,  but  in  place  of  dead-plates,  the  forward 
two-thirds  of  the  grate  surface  is  covered  with  ordinary 
fire  bricks.  These  are  held  in  place  by  an  angle-iron  bolted 
to  the  grates.  The  fuel  tank  is  mounted  above  the  right- 
hand  side  of  the  barrel  of  the  boiler  directly  in  front  of  the 
fire-box.  Its  position  above  the  boiler  keeps  the  oil  warm 
and  insures  a  good  flow  to  the  nozzle  when  the  heavier 
grades  of  oils  are  used.  In  firing  with  oil,  the  regular 
fire-door  is  left  open  or  removed  and  a  sheet-steel  door  sub- 
stituted, through  which  the  burner  slightly  projects.  When 
oil  is  used  as  fuel,  the  fire  must  be  started  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  for  coal  or  straw,  and  it  is  necessary  to  have  a  pres- 
sure of  about  ten  pounds  to  make  the  burner  work  properly. 
Unions  are  provided  in  order  that  the  burner  may  be  read- 
ily removed  for  starting  the  fire.  Fig.  10  shows  how  the 
burner  or  nozzle  is  piped  and  also  the  manner  in  which  the 
bricks  are  placed  in  the  fire-box  so  that  no  part  of  the  boiler 
is  exposed  to  the  direct  flame. 

Fuel  Value  of  Wood.  Ordinarily  a  cord  of  the  best 
hard  wood  (as  for  example  white  oak)  is  equivalent  to 
1500  pounds  of  bituminous  or  soft  coal.  However,  there 
is  considerable  variation  in  even  the  hard  woods,  a  cord  of 
good  red  or  black  oak  being  equal  to  about  1350  pounds  of 
coal,  while  on  the  other  hand  a  cord  of  good  hickory  or 
hard  maple,  if  used  for  fuel,  would  be  nearly  equal  to  a 


4O  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

ton  of  coal.  A  cord  of  soft  wood,  such  as  dry  poplar  or 
pine,  is  equivalent  to  800  or  900  pounds  of  coal. 

The  heating  value  of  the  different  kinds  of  wood  fol- 
lows quite  closely  the  differences  in  weight  and  a  certain 
quantity  of  any  kind  of  dry  wood  is  about  equal  to  40  per 
cent,  of  its  weight  in  coal,  that  is,  5000  pounds  of  dry  wood 
is  equal  to  a  ton  of  coal. 

The  above  figures  are  for  well  seasoned  sound  wood. 
If  green,  a  considerable  part  of  the  heat  is  lost  in  evaporat- 
ing the  moisture  in  it;  or  if  rotten,  the  fuel  value  is  but  a 
small  part  of  that  of  sound  wood. 

Fuel  Value  of  Straw.  It  takes  from  two  and  one-half 
to  three  tons  of  good  dry  straw,  such  as  wheat,  rye,  oat  or 
barley,  to  equal  in  heating  value  a  ton  of  soft  coal.  Flax 
straw  is  rich  in  oil  and  therefore  has  the  highest  heating 
value  of  the  various  straws,  but  it  takes  more  than  two  tons 
even  of  flax  straw  to  equal  a  ton  of  coal. 

Fuel  Value  of  Oil.  As  there  is  considerable  variation 
in  the  quality  of  fuel  oil  as  well  as  there  is  of  coal,  an  exact 
relation  cannot  be  established.  However,  for  ordinary 
calculations,  it  is  accurate  enough  to  consider  that  200  U. 
S.  gallons  of  oil  is  equivalent  to  a  ton  of  soft  coal.  This 
means  that  if  oil  can  be  purchased  for  2l/2  cents  per  U.  S. 
gallon  it  is  as  cheap  as  coal  at  five  dollars  per  ton. 

Corn  Cobs.  Corn  Cobs  make  a  convenient  fuel  as  they 
are  easily  handled.  They  make  a  hot  fire  and  it  is  very 
easy  to  keep  up  steam  with  them.  Their  heating  value  is 


FIRING  WITH  VARIOUS  FUELS  4! 

about  the  same  as  that  of  straw,  consequently  it  takes  about 
two  and  one-half  tons  to  equal  a  ton  of  coal. 

Smoke  Box.  Any  openings  or  holes  in  the  smoke-box 
let  in  outside  air  and  have  a  tendency  to  destroy  the  draft. 
The  smoke-box  door  should  fit  tight  and  if  broken,  should 
be  replaced  with  a  new  one  or  repaired  in  a  substantial  and 
workmanlike  manner. 

Removing  the  Ashes.  For  each  one  hundred  pounds  of 
coal  or  an  equivalent  amount  of  other  fuel,  about  150x3 
cubic  feet  of  air  is  required  to  support  combustion,  that  is, 
to  allow  the  fire  to  burn.  Nearly  all  of  this  large  amount  of 
air  must  pass  through  the  draft  doors  into  the  ash-pan  and 
thence  through  the  grates.  With  this  in  mind,  it  is  easy 
to  appreciate  the  necessity  of  keeping  the  ashes  out  of  the 
ash-pan  so  that  they  do  not  obstruct  the  passage  of  air. 
Furthermore,  if  allowed  to  accumulate  so  that  they  touch 
the  grates,  even  at  one  point,  the  grates  will  be  deprived  of 
the  cooling  effect  of  the  air  and  consequently  be  warped  or 
melted  so  as  to  render  them  worthless  in  a  very  short  time. 

Before  removing  hot  ashes,  see  that  there  is  no  straw, 
dried  grass  or  other  highly  inflammable  substances  on  the 
ground  where  they  will  be  likely  to  catch  and  spread  fire 
dangerously.  If  these  materials  are  present,  be  prepared 
to  quench  the  fire,  should  they  ignite,  before  it  gets  beyond 
control. 

Rocking-Grates.  In  order  to  shake  the  ashes  from  the 
grates  when  firing  with  coal,  without  disturbing  the  hot 
coals,  rocking-grates  are  sometimes  used.  The  "Case" 


SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 


rocking-grates  are  arranged  so  that  all  ashes,  cinders  and 
clinkers  from  a  previous  day's  fire  may  be  dumped  into 
the  ash-pan  and  the  grates  entirely  cleaned  for  a  fresh 
fire.  However,  while  the  engine  is  in  operation,  the  lever 
is  ordinarily  moved  back  and  forth  only  enough  to  jar  the 
ashes  through  and  not  enough  to  dump  the  fire.  Care 
should  be  taken  to  leave  the  lever  in  such  a  position  that  the 
grates  form  a  flat  surface,  for  otherwise  the  projecting 
edges  may  be  burned  off. 

Exhaust  Nozzles.  It  is  always  best  to  use  the  largest 
nozzle  that  the  fuel  will  allow.  To  be  sure  that  you  are 
doing  this,  try  a  larger  one  if  you  have  never  done  so.  In 
changing  to  another  kind  of  fuel  it  is  possible  that  the  size 
of  exhaust  nozzle  may  be  increased.  Frequently  the  firing 
is  made  easier  and  burning  of  the  fuel  improved  in  every 
way  by  the  use  of  a  larger  nozzle.  Often  in  burning  coal, 
the  opening  in  the  elbow  is  sufficiently  small  for  the  proper 
draft,  without  using  either  of  the  reducing  nozzles.  The 
reducing  nozzles,  being  of  brass,  do  not  rust,  and  therefore 
may  be  readily  changed  at  any  time. 

LIST   OF  EXHAUST    NOZZLES    FOR  "CASE"  ENGINES. 


Size  of 
Engine 

Exhaust 
Elbow 

Size  of 
Hole 

Large 
Nozzle 

Size  of 
Hole 

Small 
Nozzle 

Size  of 
Hole 

18  H.P 

A  716C 

w 

717C 

W 

771C 

i%* 

30  H.  P. 

A  716C 

iy2" 

717C 

w 

771C 

I*/*" 

36  H.  P. 

A  716C 

w 

100  1C 

w 

717C 

IK* 

45  H.  P. 

A  714C 

itt' 

715C 

1/2' 

753C 

iy4" 

60  H.P. 

A  714C 

mm 

715C 

1J4" 

753C 

w 

75  H.  P. 

800C 

2y4" 

873C 

IK" 

816C 

\y2" 

110  H.  P. 

1513C 

W 

1528C 

2y2" 

1527C 

2y4H 

CHAPTER   IV 

LUBRICATION  AND  ADJUSTMENT  OF 
BEARINGS 

KEEP  the  bearings  of  the  engine  well  oiled  if  you 
would  have  it  last  and  not  cause  trouble.  By 
"well  oiled"  is  not  meant  that  the  whole  engine 
should  be  "swimming"  in  oil,  but  that  all  of  its  bearings 
should  be  always  lubricated.  It  does  not  take  very  much 
good  oil  to  keep  a  bearing  properly  lubricated,  but  you 
should  apply  it  often  and  be  sure  that  it  reaches  the  place 
intended.  Many  of  the  oils  now  on  the  market  are  largely 
adulterated  with  rosin  and  paraffine,  and,  though  having 
an  excellent  appearance,  have  poor  lubricating  qualities, 
are  gummy  and  dry  up  in  a  short  time.  The  oil-boxes  on 
the  crank-shaft  bearings,  and  wherever  possible  elsewhere, 
should  be  rilled  with  wool  or  cotton  waste  to  retain  the  oil 
and  keep  out  sand  and  grit.  The  covers  of  these  oil  boxes 
should  be  kept  closed. 

Many  experienced  operators  use  cylinder  oil  instead  of 
machine  oil  for  lubricating  the  various  parts  of  the  engine. 
Bearings  will  run  cool  with  it  when  they  cannot  be  made 
to  do  so  with  machine  oil.  Since  it  has  considerable 
"body,"  it  requires  only  about  one-half  as  much  of  it  as  of 

43 


44  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

the  thinner  oils,  and  therefore,  its  higher  price  is  not  nec- 
essarily an  objection.  Then,  too,  it  is  convenient  to  have 
but  one  kind  of  oil  for  the  entire  engine. 

Cylinder  Lubrication.  Use  a  good  quality  of  Valve  or 
Cylinder  Oil  in  the  lubricator  or  the  oil-pump,  as  it  is  very 
important  that  the  piston  and  valve  should  be  well  lubri- 
cated with  an  oil  that  will  stand  the  high  temperatures' of 
the  steam.  Do  not  imagine  that  cheap  oil,  no  matter  in 
what  quantity,  will  do  in  the  cylinder.  Nothing  but  first- 
class  cylinder  oil  will  answer,  and  it  must  be  used  in  suf- 
ficient quantities. 

An  expert  is  often  called  to  an  engine  because  of  the 
valve  being  "off"  when  the  trouble  is  only  poor  cylinder 
lubrication.  In  the  early  days  of  the  steam  engine,  tallow 
was  generally  used  as  a  cylinder  and  valve  lubricant.  Ex- 
cept that  it  contains  some  acid,  it  was  suitable  for  the  pres- 
sures then  used.  However,  tallow  or  ordinary  machine  oil 
will  not  do  for  the  modern  steam  engine,  as  they  volatilize 
and  lose  their  lubricating  properties  at  the  high  pressures 
and  corresponding  high  temperatures  now  used. 

The  cylinder  oil  for  lubricating  the  cylinder  and  the 
valve  should  be  introduced  into  the  steam-pipe  and  if  pos- 
sible in. such  a  manner  that  the  oil  passes  through  the  throt- 
tle and  the  governor,  thus  lubricating  them.  Cylinder  oil 
is  quite  thick,  especially  in  cold  weather,  and  it  is  much 
easier  to  fill  lubricators  if  the  oil  be  warmed  and  the  cups 
heated  by  blowing  a  little  steam  through  them.  A  covered 


LUBRICATION   AND  ADJUSTMENT  OP   BEARINGS         45 

can  containing  a  quart  or  so  of  cylinder  oil  should  be  kept 
on  the  boiler  in  cold  weather  so  that  it  will  always  be  heated 
and  ready  for  use. 

Hard  Oil  has  many  qualities  to  recommend  it.  It  stays 
on  the  bearing,  and  as  it  wears  well,  a  little  of  it  will  go  a 
long  way.  The  usual  method  of  applying  hard  oil  is  by 
means  of  compression  cups,  of  which  the  one  used  on  the 
cross-head  is  an  example.  Each  time  the  engine  is  stopped, 
the  cup  should  be  turned  to  take  up  the  "slack"  and  force 
in  a  little  grease. 

Approximate  Cost  of  Oils.  The  price  of  oil  varies  so 
greatly  that  no  specific  figures  can  be  given.  However,  it 
may  be  stated  that  good  lubricating  oil  cannot  be  purchased 
in  quantities  of  five  or  ten-gallon  lots  at  less  than  twenty- 
five  cents  per  gallon,  while  cylinder-oil,  in  like  quantities, 
cannot  be  purchased  ordinarily  at  less  than  sixty  cents  per 
gallon.  These  are  minimum  figures,  and  in  localities  where 
commodities  in  general  are  high,  the  retail  prices  of  good 
oils  may  be  twice  as  high  as  those  quoted,  or  even  more. 

The  "Ideal"  Spring  Grease  Cup.  This  is  a  compres- 
sion cup  in  which  the  hard  oil  is  forced  out  by  a  plunger 
pressed  down  by  a  spring.  The  action  of  the  spring  is 
limited  by  a  thumb  screw  so  that  only  the  desired  amount 
of  grease  will  be  fed.  This  cup  is  used  on  the  crank-pin 
of  all  Case  engines.  To  fill,  raise  the  plunger  by  screwing 
down  the  thumb  nut  as  far  as  it  will  go.  Then  remove  the 
cap,  fill  the  cup  with  grease  and  replace  the  cap.  Unscrew- 


SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 


THUMB  NUT 


SPRING 


PLUNGER 


BODY 


SHANK 


REGULATING 
SCREW 


ing  the  thumb  nut  will  cause  the  spring  to  force  some  of 
the  grease  down  to  the  journal.  The  size  of  the  hole 
through  the  shank  can  be  adjusted  by  the  regulating  screw, 

to  feed  the  required 
amount  of  grease.  The 
hole  in  the  screw  is  in  line 
with  the  slot  in  its  head. 
If  it  be  desired  to  stop  the 
flow  of  grease,  turn  the 
thumb  nut  down  to  the  cap 
which  will  relieve  the 
spring  of  tension.  If  the 
plunger  turns  when  screw- 
ing the  thumb  nut,  it  may 
be  held  by  the  knurled 
head  of  the  screw. 
To  Attach  Oil  Pump  to  "Case"  Engines.  The  body 
of  the  pump  is  attached  to  the  steam  chest  by  a  stud  bolt, 
which  is  located  one  inch  from  the  top  of  the  chest,  and  one 
and  three-quarter  inches  from  the  face  of  the  chest  cover 
flange.  When  the  hole  for  the  stud  bolt  is  drilled  it  must 
be  tapped  so  that  the  five-eighth  inch  stud  bolt  will  screw 
in  steam-tight.  The  rod  for  operating  the  ratchet  may  be 
attached  to  the  rocker-arm  of  any  "Case"  simple  engine. 
To  locate  the  hole  for  the  shoulder-bolt  in  the  rocker-arm, 
measure  five  inches  below  the  center  of  rocker-arm  bearing, 
and  one-half  inch  from  the  edge  of  the  arm.  This  hole 


FIG.  II.    SECTIONAL  VIEW  OF 
"IDEAL"  CUP. 


LUBRICATION  AND  ADJUSTMENT  OF  BEARINGS         47 

should  be  three-eighths  inch  in  diameter.  Compounded 
engines  (excepting  the  75  H.  P.),  have  a  slide  in  place  of 
the  rocker-arm,  and  on  these  engines  the  ratchet-rod  is  at- 
tached to  the  eccentric- 
rod  by  means  of  a  clamp 
provided  for  this  pur- 
pose. On  portable  en- 
gines, the  ratchet-rod 
must  be  attached  to  the 
valve  slide,  the  three- 
eighth  inch  hole  for  the 
shoulder  bolt  being  lo- 
cated  two  and  one-half 

FIG.    12.      OIL  PUMP   ATTACHED. 

inches  from  the  top  and 

seven-eighths  inch  from  the  front  edge  of  the  slide.  After 
the  pump  body  is  attached,  the  ratchet-rod  may  be  placed 
in  position,  one  end  being1  on  the  shoulder  bolt  of  the 
rocker-arm  or  clamp,  and  the  other  passing  through  the 
knuckle-joint  on  the  sliding  ratchet-arm.  Having  con- 
nected the  ratchet-rod,  screw  the  gravity  check  valve  into 
the  hole  in  the  throttle,  using  a  bushing  to  bring  it  to  the 
right  size.  The  soft  one-quarter-inch  tubing  may  be  bent 
to  bring  its  ends  in  proper  position  in  order  to  make  the 
connections  at  the  unions. 

Instead  of  placing  the  oil  pump  on  the  steam  chest,  it 
may  be  attached  to  the  cylinder  flange  of  the  engine  frame. 
To  do  this,  one  of  the  studs  must  be  replaced  by  another  of 


SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 


sufficient  length  to  take  the  lug  on  the  bottom  of  the  pump 
body.  This  avoids  the  necessity  of  boring  a  hole  into  the 
steam  chest ;  but  in  all  cases,  it  is  best  to  have  the  pump- 
body  rest  on  the  steam  chest,  for  by  this  method,  the  oil  is 
kept  warm  and  fluid  in  cold  weather. 

To  Attach  the  "Swift"  Lubricator.  The  lubricators 
have  a  little  brass  pipe  extending  beyond  the  shank  as 
shown  in  the  cut  at  H.  This  pipe  discharges  the  oil  and 
must  extend  into  the  interior  of  the  steam-pipe  or  the  lub- 
ricator will  not  work.  If  lost  out  or  injured,  it  must  be 
replaced.  In  case  the  lubricator  does  not  work  properly, 
examine  this  pipe. 

To  Operate  "Swift"  Lubricator. 
Close  valves  E  and  G,  remove  cap  F 
and  fill  the  oil  reservoir  full  of  oil  to 
the  very  top.  Replace  cap  F.  The 
bright  plate  that  shows  the  sight  feed 
should  be  completely  covered  with  oil. 
Now  open  valve  E  about  one-half 
turn,  then  open  valve  G  very  care- 
fully and  drops  of  water  will  com- 
mence to  roll  down  over  the  bright 
plate;  avoid  opening  too  wide,  as  a 
FIG.  13-  "SWIFT"  stream  could  be  run  over  the  plate 

LUBRICATOR. 

and  the  oil  wasted.  When  the  oil  is 
nearly  exhausted  from  the  cup,  water  commences  to  show 
at  the  bottom  of  glass  D,  and  gradually  rises  until  it  reaches 


LUBRICATION  AND  ADJUSTMENT  OF  BEARINGS        49 

the  lower  edge  of  the  bright  plate.  The  cup  should  then 
be  refilled.  To  do  this,  close  valves  E  and  G,  open  the 
drain  I  and  remove  cap  F,  fill  while  draining;  then  close 
I  when  oil  appears  and  proceed  as  above.  When  the  en- 
gine is  shut  down,  close  valve  G. 

When  Lubricator  Fails  to  Work.  If  the  Lubricator 
should  become  clogged  from  impurities  in  the  oil,  remove 
cap  F  and  glass  D,  then  open  valves  G  and  E,  and  the 
passages  will  be  cleaned  by  steam  pressure.  In  blowing 
remove  cap  F  and  glass  D,  then  open  valves  G  and  E,  and 
the  passages  will  be  cleaned  by  steam  pressure.  In  blow- 
ing live  steam  through  the  Lubricator  to  clean  out  the  pas- 
sages, always  take  off  the  nut  D  holding  the  sight  feed  glass 
before  doing  so,  for  if  this  be  not  done,  the  steam  would 
heat  the  glass  and  render  it  liable  to  break  when  the  oil 
comes  in  contact  with  it.  Many  cups  are  ruined  by  two 
causes,  viz. :  by  freezing  and  by  straining.  In  cold  weather 
the  cups  should  be  drained  before  leaving  the  engine.  The 
valve  E  should  be  slightly  opened,  except  when  filling,  for 
if  left  closed,  the  expansion  of  cold  oil  having  no  relief  will 
strain  the  cup. 

The  little  bright  plate  that  shows  the  sight  feed  drops 
should  be  kept  clean  and  bright  by  an  occasional  wiping 
with  a  little  silver  polish ;  if  this  be  not  done,  it  becomes 
tarnished  and  does  not  show  the  feed  properly.  When  a 
glass  breaks,  if  an  extra  one  be  not  at  hand,  a  coin  may  be 
put  in  and  the  cup  run  "blind  feed"  until  a  new  one  is  pro- 


5O  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

cured.  A  five-cent  piece  is  the  right  size  for  the  lubricator 
ordinarily  used  on  the  pump  and  a  quarter  for  the  larger 
sizes. 

Packing  the  Lubricator.  The  nut  that  holds  the  sight- 
feed  glass  must  not  be  screwed  up  too  tightly.  If  screwing 
up  moderately  tight  does  not  stop  leakage,  put  in  new  gas- 
kets on  both  sides  of  the  glass.  In  repacking  the  sight- 
feed  glass,  first  remove  every  particle  of  the  old  packing. 
Two  kinds  of  gaskets  are  furnished.  Put  a  soft  rubber 
one  next  to  the  glass  on  both  sides  and  a  red  fiber  one  next 
to  the  nut.  Usually  this  nut  can  be  screwed  up  with  the 
fingers  tight  enough  to  prevent  leaking.  The  valve  stems 
may  be  packed  with  Italian  hemp  or  candle  wicking. 

Adjustment  of  Engine  Bearings.  In  adjusting  the 
bearings  of  the  engine,  take  up  just  a  little  of  the  lost 
motion  at  a  time,  until  the  pounding  is  stopped.  Do  not 
attempt  to  take  it  all  out  at  once,  for  in  so  doing  there  is 
risk  of  heating  and  cutting.  The  young  engineer  often 
finds  it  difficult  to  locate  a  "pound"  in  an  engine,  but  an 
experienced  man  can  usually  tell  where  it  is  by  taking  hold 
of  the  connecting-rod  or  eccentric-rod  as  the  engine  runs. 
A  good  plan,  and  one  that  will  often  show  where  the 
trouble  lies,  is  to  have  a  man  take  hold  of  the  fly-wheel  and 
turn  it  an  inch  or  so  back  and  forth.  By  watching  the 
crank-box,  cross-head,  main  bearings  and  the  reverse,  any 
lost  motion  can  be  seen. 

The  Connecting-Rod  Brasses  are  adjusted  by  loosening 


LUBRICATION  AND  ADJUSTMENT  OF  BEARINGS         5! 

the  jam  nut  at  the  bottom  and  turning  the  head  of  the  bolt, 
which  will  raise  the  wedge,,  and  crowd  the  two  halves  of 
the  box  together.  The  proper  adjustment  may  be  made 
by  drawing  up  the  wedge  a  little  at  a  time,  trying  it  each 
time  by  moving  the  rod  sideways  on  the  crank  pin  with  the 
hand  until  tight ;  then  back  off  the  bolt  a  trifle.  Another 
very  satisfactory  method  is  to  tighten  the  bolt  until  it  firmly 
resists  further  tightening  and  then  loosen  it  a  known 
amount,  which  should  be  about  one-third  of  a  turn. 


FIG.    14.      THE   CONNECTING-ROD. 

When  the  halves  of  the  brasses  touch,  they  must  be 
taken  out  and  filed.  To  take  out  the  brasses  for  filing, 
remove  the  connecting  rod  in  the  following  manner :  Turn 
the  engine  so  that  the  cross-head  pin  comes  opposite  the 
hole  in  the  engine  frame  nearest  the  crank.  Take  off  the 
washer  on  the  crank  pin  and  remove  the  grease  cup  and 
the  nut  from  the  cross-head  pin.  Drive  the  cross-head  pin 
out  with  a  wood  block,  turn  the  engine  on  rear  dead  center, 
and  the  connecting-rod  may  be  lifted  off.  Set  the  wedges 
down  as  far  as  they  will  go,  and  take  out  the  adjusting 
bolts.  The  wedge  and  half  of  the  box  next  to  it  may  be 
driven  out  from  the  inner  side  with  a  wood  block.  Before 


52  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

taking  off  the  connecting-rod,  make  a  scratch  across  the 
wedges  and  the  rod  end,  so  that  in  putting  them  back  the 
wedge  may  be  set  in  the  same  position  as  before. 

As  the  pressure  is  nearly  all  endwise  on  the  rod,  the 
holes  in  the  brasses  will  tend  to  wear  in  an  oval  shape,  so 
that  when  the  boxes  are  tightened,  they  will  bind  at  the  top 
and  bottom,  causing  them  to  heat,  while  they  still  pound 
endwise.  To  obviate  this  difficulty,  the  boxes  should  be 
"relieved"  at  the  top  and  bottom  by  filing  with  a  half- 
round  file.  They  should  not  touch  the  pin  for  a  distance 
of  one-half  to  three-quarters  of  an  inch  each  side  of  the 
joint.  In  time,  the  brasses  will  have  worn  so  much  that 
the  wedge  strikes  against  the  top.  Shims  made  of  sheet- 
iron  of  the  proper  thickness  must  now  be  inserted.  These 
should  be  put  in  on  both  sides  of  the  brasses  so  as  to  not 
change  the  length  of  the  rod,  which  would  make  it  neces- 
sary to  re-divide  the  clearance. 

It  is  best  to  take  off  the  connecting-rod  when  the  en- 
gine is  cold;  if  it  be  taken  off  when  the  boiler  is  under 
steam  pressure,  and  the  throttle  should  accidentally  be  left 
open,  or  should  leak,  the  piston  may  be  driven  through  the 
cylinder  with  force  enough  to  do  serious  damage. 

The  Shoes  of  the  Cross-Head  are  adjusted  by  loosen- 
ing the  four  cap  screws,  (E),  and  screwing  up  the  four  set 
screws,  (F),  to  force  the  shoes  against  the  guides.  This 
will  leave  a  space  between  the  shoes  and  cross-head  into 
which  sheet-iron  shims  should  be  inserted.  If  these  shims 
be  of  the  right  thickness  to  just  fill  the  space,  loosening  the 


LUBRICATION  AND  ADJUSTMENT  OF  BEARINGS         53 

set-screws  and  tightening  the  cap-screws  will  leave  the 
shoes  free  to  run  and  with  no  lost  motion.  When  the  en- 
gine runs  "under,"  as  in  threshing,  the  wear  is  mostly  on 


FIG.   15.      THE   CROSS-HEAD. 

the  upper  shoe  and  guide,  and  when  engine  runs  "over," 
as  on  the  road,  the  wear  is  nearly  all  on  the  lower  shoe  and 
guide.  Usually  the  wear  being  nearly  the  same  on  both, 
they  should  be  set  out  equally.  The  wear  is  slightly 
greater  at  crank  end  of  guides  and  if  the  shoes  are  adjusted 
so  cross-head  is  free  at  cylinder  end,  it  will  not  be  too  tight 
at  the  other  end. 

The  Eccentric  Strap  is  tightened  by  removing  the  paper 
liners.  When  these  are  all  removed  and  the  halves  come 
together,  they  should  be  taken  to  a  machine  shop  and  a 
little  planed  off.  The  eccentric-strap  must  be  well  lubri- 
cated at  all  times,  preferably  with  cylinder  oil.  The  eccen- 
tric rod  brasses  and  valve-rod  brasses  on  engines  having 


54  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

rocker-arms  are  taken  up  by  driving  down  the  wedges  or 
keys. 

The  Main  Bearings  are  adjusted  by  removing  paper 
liners.  Take  out  only  a  little  at  a  time.  If  one  of  the 
bearings  heats  and  does  not  cool  when  the  nuts  are  loos- 
ened, remove  the  cap  and  clean  out  any  grit  or  dirt  that 
may  be  found.  If  the  babbitt  be  rough  and  torn  up,  it 
should  be  scraped  smooth.  It  is  well  to  "relieve"  the  main 
bearings  a  little  at  their  edges,  as  explained  for  the  con- 
necting-rod brasses.  When  paper  liners  have  all  been  re- 
moved, and  the  shaft  has  lost  motion,  the  boxes  will  require 
re-babbitting. 

Babbitting  Main  Frame  Bearing.  No  one  but  a  good 
mechanic  skilled  in  this  work  should  undertake  to  babbitt 
the  main  bearings.  The  difficulty  lies  in  obtaining  the 
alignment,  which  must  be  perfect,  before  the  babbitt  is 
poured.  The  babbitt  should  be  of  the  best  quality. 

First,  remove  the  cylinder-head,  piston  and  piston-rod, 
connecting-rod  and  cross-head.  Run  a  line  (a  fine  wire  is 
best)  through  the  piston-rod  stuffing-box  and  fasten  it  by 
any  convenient  means  to  a  point  in  the  rear  of  the  crank- 
disc  and  to  a  point  in  front  of  the  cylinder.  In  the  latter 
case,  a  piece  of  wood  may  be  bolted  to  the  cylinder  by  one 
of  the  stud-bolts  which  hold  the  cylinder  head  in  place. 
With  a  pair  of  inside  calipers,  the  distance  from  the  line 
should  be  carefully  measured  at  both  ends  of  the  cylinder, 
at  the  stuffing-box  and  at  the  guides  to  insure  its  being 
exactly  central  with  the  cylinder  in  all  directions.  Meas- 


LUBRICATION   AND  ADJUSTMENT   OF  BEARINGS         55 

urements  may  now  be  made  from  the  line  to  the  crank- 
disc  and  pin,  in  order  to  determine  how  much,  if  any,  the 
shaft  has  been  out  of  line.  By  doing  this  before  the  old 
babbitt  is  disturbed,  you  will  be  able  to  tell  later  just  how 
much  the  shaft  must  be  moved  in  order  to  correct  the 
alignment  When  this  has  been  done,  the  shaft  must  be 
taken  out  and  the  old  babbitt  removed  from  the  box  and 
all  grease  and  dirt  or  metal,  etc.,  cleaned  from  it.  When 
the  box  is  properly  cleaned,  replace  the  shaft,  letting  the 
disc  end  rest  on  blocks,  one  or  two  of  which  should  be 
wedge-shape  so  that  the  shaft  may  conveniently  be  raised 
or  lowered.  The  shaft  should  now  be  brought  to  the 
proper  height  so  that  its  center  is  exactly  on  a  level  with  the 
line.  Now,  by  carefully  measuring  to  the  line,  the  shaft 
should  be  moved  forward  or  rearward  until  the  front  and 
rear  portions  of  the  crank-disc  rim  are  exactly  the  same 
distance  from  the  line.  When  this  is  accomplished,  the 
crank-shaft  will  be  at  right  angles  to  the  bore  of  the  cylin- 
der and  the  shaft  will  be  in  its  proper  position  "fore  and 
aft."  The  shaft  should  now  be  moved  along  its  axis  until 
the  crank-pin  is  divided  into  two  equal  parts  by  the  line. 
All  of  the  measurements  should  be  made  very  carefully 
and  accurately,  and  verified  two  or  three  times.  The  bab- 
bitt should  be  of  the  best  quality — Case  grade  "A"  being- 
suitable. 

Both  halves  of  the  bearing  can  be  run  at  the  same  time, 
or  the  halves  run  separately  as  preferred.  It  is  usually 
best  to  pour  the  lower  half  first.  The  lower  edge  must  be 


56  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

made  tight  with  a  piece  of  sheet-iron  touching  the  shaft. 
This  may  be  held  by  means  of  the  bolts  which  secure  the 
cap.  Putty  should  then  be  used  to  make  the  ends  and  all, 
tight  against  leakage,  but  the  babbitt  must  be  allowed  to 
run  against  the  hub  of  the  disc  in  order  that  end-play  of 
the  shaft  may  be  prevented.  An  opening  in  the  form  of 
a  funnel  of  putty  should  be  made  at  each  end  of  the  box  at 
the  top.  The  babbitt  may  be  poured  through  the  larger 
of  these  while  the  one  at  the  other  end  of  the  box  allows 
the  air  to  escape.  After  the  lower-half  and  cap  of  bearing 
have  been  poured,  the  shaft  should  be  removed  so  that  the 
babbitt  may  be  examined,  oil-holes  opened,  oil-grooves  cut 
and  the  babbitt  scraped  if  necessary  to  properly  fit  the 
shaft.  It  is  usually  best  to  relieve  the  bearing  as  explained 
elsewhere. 

To  Babbitt  Upper  Cannon  Bearing.  Jack  up  right- 
hand  side  of  boiler,  and  block  under  tank  or  platform 
frame.  Remove  right-hand  traction- 
wheel;  take  pin  out  of  collar  and  pull 
off  right-hand  counter-shaft  pinion; 
then  the  differential  spur-gear  and  cen- 
ter-wheel. Drive  out  key  and  remove 


uv 

£>. 


FIG.  ib.  tne  left-hand  counter-shaft  pinion.   Pull 

out  the  counter-shaft,  and  remove  can- 
non-bearing after  slipping  off  links. 

Chip  out  all  old  babbitt,  and  remove  any  grease  or  grit 
that  may  adhere  to  the  casting.     Fill  the  key-way  in  the 


LUBRICATION   AND  ADJUSTMENT  OF  BEARINGS         57 


shaft  with  putty  or  clay  and  wrap  the  shaft  at  the  bearings 
with  two  or  three  thicknesses  of  common  newspaper 
smeared  with  cylinder  oil. 

Cover  the  outside  of  the  paper 
with  a  good  thick  coating  of 
cylinder  oil  to  prevent  the  bab- 
bitt from  clinging  to  the  shaft. 

Make  two  boards  similar  to 
Fig.  1 6  to  hold  the  shaft  central 
in  bearing  while  babbitting.  The 
holes  in  the  boards  are  made  the 
size  of  the  shaft  and  the  three 
blocks  are  nailed  to  the  board 
with  ends  on  a  circle  to  fit  the 
outside  turned  part  of  the  can- 
non-bearing. Put  one  board 
"A"  on  shaft  next  to  bevel-gear ; 
then  put  bearing  on  shaft,  and 
the  other  board  "A"  on  the 
other  end.  Drive  wooden  plugs 
through  oil-holes  until  they 
strike  shaft.  Set  shaft  and  all 
on  end  as  shown  in  Fig.  17. 
Make  cup  "B"  of  putty  or  clay 
at  opening  in  side  of  casting  to 
pour  babbitt  in ;  also  fill  all  around  ends  at  "C"  with  putty 
or  clay  to  keep  babbitt  from  running  out. 

Heat  babbitt  just  hot  enough  to  run  freely,  and  pour  in 


FIG.  17.    CANNON-BEARING  IN 
POSITION  FOR  BABBITTING. 


58  SCIENCE    OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

cup  "B."  Turn  shaft  and  bearing  end  for  end  and  repeat 
the  operation  as  above.  Remove  the  shaft ;  chip  oil-grooves 
in  upper  side  of  bearing  and  see  that  oil-holes  are  open. 
The  bearing  is  now  ready  to  put  in  place  on  the  engine 
again. 


CHAPTER  V 

HANDLING  THE  ENGINE 

BEFORE  starting  the  engine  always  see  that  the  cyl- 
inder cocks  are  open.  Then  if  the  crank  pin  be  in 
the  right  position  (that  is,  past  the  dead  center  in 
the  direction  in  which  the  engine  is  to  run) ,  open  the  throt- 
tle just  enough  so  the  crank  pin  will  pass  the  next  center. 
After  a  few  revolutions,  gradually  increase  the  throttle 
opening  until  the  governor  controls  the  speed.  If  the 
crank  pin  be  not  in  the  right  position  to  start,  take  the 
throttle-lever  in  one  hand  and  the  reverse  lever  in  the  other. 
Admit  a  little  steam  into  the  cylinder,  reverse,  and  then 
before  the  engine  can  pass  that  center  throw  the  reverse 
lever  back,  and  the  engine  will  start.  Occasionally  an 
engine  will  stop  on  the  exact  dead-center,  and  when  this 
occurs  it  is  necessary  to  turn  it  off  by  taking  hold  of  the 
fly-wheel.  If  on  the  road,  releasing  the  friction  clutch 
will  generally  allow  the  engine  to  start  because  the  strain 
on  the  gearing  is  released. 

Never  start  the  engine  suddenly.  Take  sufficient  time 
to  allow  the  water  in  the  cylinder  to  escape  through  the 
cylinder-cocks  instead  of  forcing  it  through  the  exhaust. 
If  the  engine  be  working  in  the  belt,  a  sudden  start  is  very 

59 


6O  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

liable  to  throw  off  the  main  belt;  if  traveling,  a  sudden 
start  throws  unnecessary  strain  on  the  gearing  and  the 
connections  between  the  engine  and  its  load.  When  the 
engine  has  been  running  a  sufficient  time  to  allow  any 
water  that  may  be  in  the  cylinder  to  escape,  cylinder-cocks 
may  be  closed.  When  the  engine  is  at  work  leave  the 
throttle  wide  open,  allowing  the  governor  to  control  the 
speed. 

An  engine  provided  with  a  friction  clutch  is  much 
easier  handled  when  traveling  than  one  without,  but  the 
clutch  is  seldom  used  by  a  good  engineer.  If  used  con- 
tinually it  requires  attention  to  keep  it  adjusted. 

Steering.  An  engine  cannot  be  properly  guided  unless 
the  steering-chains  are  correctly  adjusted.  H  too  tight 
they  cause  the  steering-wheel  to  turn  hard,  while  if  too 
loose,  the  guiding  is  much  more  difficult  and  the  control 
uncertain.  The  chains  are  properly  adjusted  when  one 
turn  of  the  steering-wheel  takes  up  the  slack.  A  weak 
steering-chain  is  dangerous  and  if  one  has  been  broken  by 
running  into  something,  or  from  any  other  cause,  it  should 
not  be  allowed  to  go  indefinitely,  temporarily  repaired 
with  a  bolt  or  piece  of  wire,  but  should  be  fixed  so  that  it 
is  as  strong  as  ever. 

In  guiding  an  engine  many  make  the  mistake  of  turn- 
ing the  steering-wheel  too  much.  It  is  well  to  remember 
that  a  turn  in  one  direction  always  means  a  turn  in  the  op- 
posite direction.  Theoretically,  the  engine  would  follow 


HANDLING  THE  ENGINE  6l 

a  smooth  straight  road  without  turning  the  wheel  at  all, 
but  in  practice  it  is  always  necessary  to  turn  it  a  little.  It 
is  important  to  keep  your  eye  on  the  front  wheels  of  the 
engine. 

Setting  the  Engine.  A  little  practice  is  necessary  to 
enable  the  operator  to  quickly  line  and  set  the  engine,  but 
this  is  acquired  by  most  men  in  time.  On  a  calm  day  the 
engine  and  the  separator  should  be  "dead  in  line,"  that  is, 
in  such  a  position  that  a  line  drawn  through  the  edges  of 
the  fly-wheel  rim  would  pass  through  the  edge  of  the  sep- 
arator cylinder-pulley  rim  on  the  same  side,  and  a  line 
drawn  through  the  edges  of  the  cylinder-pulley  rim  would 
pass  through  the  edge  of  the  fly-wheel  rim  on  the  same 
side. 

Whew  threshing  on  a  windy  day,  the  drive  belt  should 
be  crossed  so  the  slack  side  will  be  toward  the  direction 
from  which  the  wind  is  coming.  When  crossed  in  this 
way,  the  pulling  side  (that  is,  the  one  going  to  the  bottom 
of  the  engine  fly-wheel)  will  support  the  slack  side  and  in 
a  measure  prevent  it  from  being  carried  out  of  line  by  the 
wind.  Allowance  for  the  wind  must  be  made,  a  heavy 
side  wind  requiring  a  setting  of  the  engine  sometimes  as 
much  as  two  feet  out  of  line.  When  the  rig  has  been  set 
during  a  calm  and  a  wind  comes  up,  it  is  not  necessary  to 
stop,  throw  the  belt  and  reset  the  engine  in  order  to  make 
the  belt  run  on  the  pulley.  Take  a  screw-jack  or  lifting- 
jack,  set  it  obliquely  under  the  front  axle  of  the  engine 
and  move  it  in  the  direction  the  wind  is  blowing  until  the 


62  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

belt  runs  properly  on  the  fly-wheel.  Move  the  front  end 
of  the  separator  in  the  same  manner  until  the  belt  runs 
properly  on  the  cylinder  pulley.  If  trouble  be  experienced 
in  getting  the  engine  in  line,  this  method  may  be  used  to 
correct  the  alignment  until  practice  enables  the  operator 
to  set  the  engine  so  that  the  belt  will  run  in  the  center  of 
both  pulleys.  This  "jacking  over"  of  the  front  of  the 
engine  or  of  the  separator  should  be  done  while  the  belt 
is  running.  The  friction-clutch  should  always  be  used 
in  tightening  and  in  backing  the  engine  into  the  belt. 

'Ascending  Hills.  In  coming  to  a  steep  hill  the  engi- 
neer should  see  that  he  has  about  the  right  amount  of  water 
in  the  boiler,  that  is,  enough  to  show  about  two  inches  in 
the  glass  when  the  boiler  is  level.  With  the  boiler  too  full 
there  may  be  danger  of  priming,  which  should  be  espec- 
ially avoided  on  a  hill.  It  is  also  necessary  to  exercise 
judgment  in  regard  to  the  fire.  It  should  be  hot  enough 
to  insure  sufficient  steam  pressure  to  climb  the  hill  without 
stopping.  On  the  contrary,  the  engine  should  not  be  al- 
lowed to  blow  off  when  pulling  hard  on  a  hill,  as  this  is 
liable  to  cause  priming,  necessitating  stopping.  In  short, 
when  approaching  a  steep  hill,  prepare  for  it  so  that  you 
know  you  can  ascend  without  stopping.  In  ascending  a 
hill,  avoid  running  fast,  as  a  moderate  rate  of  speed  gives 
best  results.  If  the  engine  shows  a  tendency  to  prime, 
the  speed  should  be  limited  by  means  of  the  throttle  so 
that  the  engine  may  run  just  fast  enough  to  pass  its  dead- 
centers. 


HANDLING  THE  ENGINE  63 

Descending  Hills.  Important  as  it  is  to  ascend  the 
hill 'without  stopping,  it  is  doubly  important  in  descending 
to  reach  level  ground  before  stopping.  Every  man  in 
charge  of  a  boiler  of  the  locomotive  type  should  know  the 
danger  of  stopping  with  the  front  end  low.  In  descend- 
ing a  very  steep  hill  leave  the  throttle  partly  open  to  admit 
a  little  steam  and  if  the  engine  runs  too  fast  control  the 
speed  with  reverse  lever. 

Gravel  Hills.  In  going  up  steep  gravel  hills  there  is 
danger  of  breaking  through  the  surface  crust,  thereby 
letting  the  traction  wheels  into  the  soft  gravel,  which  they 
will  push  out  from  under  them,  simply  digging  holes  in- 
stead of  propelling  the  engine.  When  this  occurs,  stop 
at  once,  before  the  engine  buries  itself.  Block  the  wheels 
of  the  separator,  or  other  load  behind  the  engine  and  un- 
couple and  it  will  probably  move  out  all  right.  If  it  does 
not,  put  cordwood  sticks  in  front  of  the  traction  wheels 
so  that  the  grouters  will  catch.  Another  method  is  to 
hitch  a  team  and  start  the  team  and  engine  together. 

Mud  Holes.  The  statements  regarding  gravel  hills 
apply  in  general  to  soft  mud  holes.  Stop  the  engine  when 
the  wheels  slip,  and  put  straw,  brush,  stones,  sticks  or  any- 
thing else  that  may  be  handy  in  front  of  the  wheels  so  that 
the  grouters  can  take  hold  of  something.  When  the  en- 
gine is  on  a  "greasy"  road  where  the  wheels  slip  without 
digging  much,  get  a  couple  of  men  to  help  roll  the  front 
wheels  and  you  will  be  surprised  how  much  good  this  does. 


64  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

With  one  traction  wheel  in  a  greasy  mud  hole  or  old 
stack  bottom,  and  the  other  on  solid  ground,  the  differen- 
tial gear  may  be  locked,  but  unless  you  understand  the  con- 
sequences of  doing  this,  as  elsewhere  explained  in  this 
book,  it  will  be  better  to  get  out  some  other  way. 

The  Use  of  a  Cable.  It  is  a  good  plan  to  carry  a  wire 
cable  or  heavy  rope  with  the  outfit.  Then  when  the  en- 
gine stalls,  it  can  be  uncoupled  and  run  onto  solid  ground 
where  it  can  pull  its  load  out  of  the  hole  by  the  long  hitch, 
and  then  be  coupled  up  short  again.  A  cable  or  rope  is 
elastic  and  therefore  better  than  a  chain,  which  is  liable 
to  snap  with  the  shock  of  starting  the  load.  Where  a  rope 
is  used,  it  should  have  a  ring  spliced  in  one  end.  The 
other  end  may  be  tied  into  a  shackle  or  clevis  on  the  engine 
draw-bar  in  a  "bow-line"  knot,  which  will  not  slip  and  is 
easily  untied  after  being  strained.  A  rope  used  in  this 
way  has  the  advantage  of  being  adjustable  as  to  length. 
If  a  chain  be  used  the  engine  must  be  moved  very  slowly, 
by  means  of  the  friction  clutch,  until  all  the  slack  is  out  of 
the  chain. 

Special  High  Grouters.  Engines  for  Louisiana,  and 
other  swampy  localities,  are  usually  fitted  with  pressed- 
steel  grouters  or  "mud-hooks,"  as  they  are  called,  which 
bolt  to  the  traction  wheels,  in  addition  to  the  regular 
grouters.  These  are  about  five  inches  high  and  conse- 
quently must  be  taken  off  before  crossing  bridges.  (They 
are  furnished  at  an  additional  price.) 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  ENGINE  PROPER 

THE  term  "traction  engine"  commonly  includes,  not 
only  what  is  strictly  speaking,  the  engine,  but  the 
boiler  and  traction  parts  as  well.     In  this  book, 
the  term  "engine  proper"  will  be  used  to  designate  those 
parts  which  are  actually  concerned  in  converting  the  en- 
ergy of  steam  into  rotary  motion.     The  boiler  changes 


REVERSE  LEVER 
CLUTCH  LE) 
THROTTLE  LEVI 


FIG.    l8.      SIDE   ELEVATION   OF   ENGINE   PROPER. 

water  into  steam  by  adding  to  it,  heat,  taken  from  the  fuel. 
The  engine  proper  consumes  steam  and  delivers  motion. 

The    Cylinder.     It  is  in  the  cylinder  that  the  actual 

e  65 


66 


SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 


change  of  heat  into  motion  takes  place.  Here  the  steam 
is  alternately  admitted  on  opposite  sides  of  a  piston,  which 
is  driven  back  and  forth,  thereby.  This  reciprocating  mo- 
tion of  the  piston  is  changed  into  the  rotary  motion  of  the 
shaft,  by  the  crank  and  connecting  rod.  The  admission 
of  steam  to  the  cylinder  is  controlled  by  the  "slide-valve," 
which  slides  upon  a  planed  surface,  called  the  "valve-seat," 


FIG.    Ip.      SECTIONAL  VIEW  OF  SIMPLE   CYLINDER. 

in  a  chamber,  called  the  "steam-chest,"  which  is  adjacent 
to  the  cylinder.  Passages,  called  "ports,"  lead  from  the 
valve  seat  to  the  ends  of  the  cylinder  and  to  the  outside 
air,  called  the  "exhaust."  The  valve  alternatelv  uncovers 
the  ports  and  allows  the  steam  in  the  chest  to  flow  into  the 


THE  ENGINE  PROPER  67 

ends  of  the  cylinder.  The  underside  of  the  valve  is  cham- 
bered in  such  a  manner  that  when  the  piston  is  being  driven 
away  from  one  end  of  the  cylinder,  this  chamber  connects 
the  steam  port  of  the  opposite  end  with  the  exhaust  port, 
and  allows  the  steam  to  flow  through  the  exhaust  pipe  into 
the  air.  The  valve  does  not  admit  steam  to  the  cylinder 
during  a  complete  stroke  of  the  piston,  but  only  during  a 
part,  which  is  known  as  "admission."  When  the  piston 
has  traveled  a  certain  distance,  the  valve  closes  the  port, 
shutting  off  the  steam,  at  what  is  called  the  point  of  "cut- 
off." Since  steam  is  elastic,  it  continues  to  act,  with  grad- 
ually decreasing  pressure,  upon  the  piston  until  the  end  of 
the  stroke  is  reached.  This  part  of  the  stroke  and  action 
of  the  steam  is  known  as  "expansion."  In  the  same  man- 
ner in  which  the  admission  of  live  steam  is  stopped  before 
the  piston  completes  its  outward  stroke,  the  exhaust  is 
closed  shortly  before  the  return  stroke  is  completed.  The 
steam  caught  between  the  piston  and  the  end  of  the  cylin- 
der is  compressed  as  the  piston  nears  the  end,  raising  the 
pressure  of  the  steam  and  forming  what  is  called  the  "cush- 
ion." The  part  of  the  stroke  after  the  exhaust  has  closed 
is  called  "compression."  The  steam  is  carried  from  the 
boiler  to  the  steam  chest  by  means  of  the  steam  pipe,  in 
which  the  throttle  and  governor  are  located. 

Wide  End  of  Valve.  Sometimes  the  widths  between 
the  outside  edges  and  the  exhaust  chamber  edges  of  the 
valve  are  different  for  the  two  ends  of  the  valve.  The  ob- 


68  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

ject  of  making  the  valve  in  this  way  is  to  equalize  com- 
pression. Such  a  valve  should  be  put  in  with  the  wide 
end  toward  the  rear  or  crank-end  of  cylinder. 

The  Piston.  The  piston  is  always  a  little  smaller  than 
the  inside  diameter  of  the  cylinder.  It  is  made  steam 
tight,  however,  by  rings  which  are  fitted  into  grooves  on 
its  circumference.  These  rings  are  originally  made 
slightly  larger  than  the  bore  of  the  cylinder,  and  are  after- 
ward cut  apart,  so  that  they  may  be  compressed  sufficiently 
to  enter  the  cylinder.  This  gives  them  some  tension  so 
that  they  fit  the  inside  of  the  cylinder  closely,  thus  pre- 
venting leakage  of  the  steam.  The  cylinder  is  bored 
slightly  larger  at  the  ends — "counter-bored"  as  it  is  called. 
This  is  done  to  guard  against  the  wearing  of  a  shoulder, 
at  the  points,  near  each  end  of  the  cylinder,  at  which  the 
outer  edge  of  the  piston  ring  stops.  The  forming  of  such 
a  shoulder  (which  would  cause  the  engine  to  pound),  is 
prevented  by  allowing  part  of  the  ring  to  pass  into  the 
counter-bore.  The  entire  width  of  the  ring  must  not  be 
permitted  to  enter  the  counter-bore,  however,  or  the  ring 
would  expand  and  catch  against  the  shoulder. 

To  Divide  the  Clearance.  The  clearance  of  an  engine 
is  the  cubical  contents  of  the  port,  from  the  face  of  the 
valve  to  the  cylinder,  including  the  space  between  the  pis- 
ton and  the  cylinder  head  when  the  engine  is  on  dead-cen- 
ter. To  divide  the  clearance,  loosen  the  clamp  bolt  and 
the  jam  nut  on  the  piston  rod  and  unscrew  the  rod  from  the 


THE  ENGINE  PROPER  69 

cross-head  until  the  piston  just  strikes  the  cylinder-head 
as  the  crank  passes  the  head  dead-center ;  then  screw  in  the 
rod  until  the  piston  just  strikes  the  other  cylinder-head 
as  the  engine  passes  the  other  dead-center  carefully  count- 
ing the  number  of  turns  of  the  rod.  Now  unscrew  the  rod 
half  the  number  of  turns  counted  and  the  clearance  will 
be  divided.  Tighten  the  clamp  bolt  and  the  jam  nut. 

Packing  Piston-Rod  and  Valve-Rod.  A  suitable 
packing  for  this  purpose  is  the  kind  known  as  "gum-core" 
which  is  round  in  section  and  has  a  rubber  center  with  a 
woven  fabric  covering.  There  are  many  other  kinds  of 
good  packing  on  the  market.  Italian  hemp  (which  comes 
in  the  form  of  a  rope),  candle  wicking  and  similar  pack- 
ings can  be  used,  but  a  rod  stuffing-box  packed  with  them 
requires  continual  attention,  whereas  if  packed  with  "gum- 
core"  or  other  good  packings  it  will  often  run  a  whole 
season  without  re-packing. 

Packing  Cylinder-Head  and  Steam-Chest  Cover.  Usu- 
ally sheet  asbestos  is  used  for  the  gaskets  under  steam- 
chest  cover,  cylinder-head,  governor-base  flange  and  other 
similar  steam  joints.  There  are  some  sheet-rubber  pack- 
ings that  are  very  good.  Many  engine-men  do  not  know 
that  a  sheet-asbestos  gasket  when  broken  in  separating 
the  parts,  even  when  a  portion  adheres  on  one  side  and  the 
rest  on  the  other,  will  hold  tight  providing  that  the  pieces 
of  the  gasket  go  back  in  exactly  the  same  position  as  be- 
fore. With  either  rubber  or  asbestos  sheet  packing,  if 


7O  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

one  side  be  coated  with  graphite  when  first  put  on,  the 
joint  may  be  opened  several  times,  and  as  the  gasket  will 
adhere  to  one  side  only,  it  will  remain  undisturbed  and  will 
not  require  renewing.  In  emergencies  when  no  good 
packing  is  at  hand,  a  leaky  joint  can  be  remedied  in  vari- 
ous ways.  If  small  pieces  of  the  packing  blow  out,  the 
leakages  can  be  plugged  temporarily  by  soft  wooden 
wedges.  A  gasket  may  be  made  of  a  piece  of  grain  bag 
smeared  with  paint  or  cylinder  oil.  Common  straw- 
board,  or  even  a  few  thicknesses  of  newspaper,  also  an- 
swers very  well  as  a  gasket  under  steam-chest  cover,  cyl- 
inder-head or  the  like  if  the  bolts  be  kept  well  tightened 
for  the  first  day  or  two.  A  soft  copper  wire  about  1-8 
inch  in  diameter  will  also  answer  the  purpose,  when  placed 
around  the  joint  to  be  packed,  inside  of  the  bolts,  and  the 
ends  joined  carefully. 

Packing  Valve-Stems.  For  packing  the  stems  of 
globe  and  angle  valves,  the  water-glass  connections,  throt- 
tle-stem and  similar  places,  asbestos  wicking  (which  comes 
in  balls)  is  the  most  suitable.  For  valves  that  are  not 
subjected  to  steam-pressure  and  are  therefore  never  heated, 
cotton  candle  wicking  or  hemp  will  do  nicely. 

The  Crank-Pin  and  Disc.  The  crank-pin  of  an  engine 
will  quickly  heat  if  keyed  up  too  tightly  or  if  the  grease- 
cup  which  lubricates  it  is  allowed  to  get  empty.  The 
crank-pin  is  forced  into  the  disc  with  a  pressure  of  several 
tons  and  will  never  get  loose  unless  possibly  by  the  pin 


THE  ENGINE  PROPER  71 

getting  hot  and  causing  the  brasses  to  set  tight  on  the  pin. 
When  this  occurs,  the  connecting-rod  exerts  a  powerful 
tendency  to  twist  the  pin  in  the  disc. 

The  crank-disc  on  Case  engines  is  pressed  onto  the 
shaft  with  a  pressure  of  fifteen  tons  or  more,  and  the  key 
is  then  driven  in.  It  will  be  seen  that,  owing  to  this  pre- 
caution in  securing  it,  the  disc  is  not  liable  to  get  loose,  and 
in  fact  the  only  strain  that  can  possibly  loosen  it  is  the 
enormous  one  produced  when  an  engine  is  started  suddenly 
without  allowing  the  water  in  the  cylinder  to  escape. 
Sometimes  operators  think  the  disc  is  loose  when  it  is  not. 
They  are  deceived  by  the  appearance  of  oil  at  the  end  of 
the  shaft  which  may  have  seeped  through  along  the  sides 
of  the  key,  or  by  the  fact  that  the  disc  appears  to  "wobble." 
The  appearance  of  oil  does  not  indicate  looseness  and  the 
apparent  wobbling  may  be  due  to  end-play  of  the  shaft. 

The  Throttle.  The  throttle  controls  the  flow  of  steam 
from  the  boiler  to  the  steam  chest.  It  should  be  left  open 
after  the  engine  is  started,  allowing  the  governor  to  con- 
trol the  speed.  The  only  exception  to  this  rule  is  when 
the  engine  is  working  hard,  as  when  traveling  up  a  hill, 
with  its  boiler  showing  a  tendency  to  prime.  In  this  case, 
the  engine  should  be  made  to  run  very  slowly  by  means 
of  the  throttle.  The  skill  with  which  some  operators 
handle  the  throttle  enables  them  to  drive  an  engine  up  a 
hill  which  one  less  skilled  could  not  make  the  engine  climb. 
This  applies  principally  to  localities  in  which  the  water  is 


72  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

so  bad  that  it  makes  all  boilers  liable  to  prime.  The  throt- 
tle should  be  drained  in  cold  weather  to  prevent  damage 
by  frost. 

Leaky  Throttles.  If  the  throttle  is  leaky,  see  that 
the  valve  is  put  in  so  that  the  steam  pressure  holds  it 
against  the  seat  when  closed.  Arrows  are  placed  on  the 
body  casting  and  on  the  valve  itself,  indicating  the  direc- 
tion of  the  flow  of  steam  to  aid  in  putting  in  the  valve 
correctly.  Leakage  may  be  the  result  of  a  sprung  valve- 
body  or  valve,  or  both,  occasioned  by  freezing  or  other 
causes.  The  valve  itself  may  have  become  twisted  by 
someone  trying  to  open  the  throttle  when  it  was  stuck  by 
frost.  Leaks  can  usually  be  remedied  by  taking  out  the 
valve  and  filing  it  on  the  high  places 
shown  by  the  contact.  Use  a  very 
fine  file  and  bear  lightly,  or  use  emery 
cloth.  File  off  but  little  before  try- 
ing the  valve  for  leakage.  A  second 
filing  will  usually  be  found  to  suffice. 
The  Governor.  The  speed  of  the 
steam  threshing-engine  is  controlled 
by  a  governor,  which  "throttles"  or 
limits  the  amount  of  steam  admitted 
to  the  cylinder.  The  essential  parts 

FIG.    2O.      GOVERNOR.  . 

of  a  throttling  governor  consist  of 
balls  which  tend  to  fly  apart  by  centrifugal  action,  which 
movement  is  transmitted  to  the  valve  and  partly  closes  it. 


THE  ENGINE  PROPER  73 

The  outward  movement  of  the  balls  is  resisted  by  springs. 
A  perspective  view  of  a  governor  is  shown  in  Fig.  20,  and 
a  sectional  view  of  the  valve-body  in  Fig.  21.  The  valve 
connection  to  the  stem  has  no  play  endwise,  but  is  flexible, 
thus  allowing  the  valve  to  align  itself  by  its  seat. 

Speed  of  Engine.  To  increase  the  speed  of  the  engine, 
loosen  the  check  nut  at  the  top  of  the  Waters  governor  and 
turn  the  screw  up.  To  decrease  the  speed,  screw  it  down. 
Be  sure  to  set  the  check  nut  tight  after  altering. 

Packing  the  Governor.  For  packing  the  stuffing-box, 
candle  wicking  (which  comes  in  balls)  is  excellent;  soaked 
in  a  mixture  of  cylinder  oil  and  black  lead  or  graphite,  it 
will  work  well  and  last  a  long  time.  Do  not  screw  the 
stuffing-box  down  too  hard  on  the  packing,  or  the  sensi- 
tive action  of  the  governor  will  be  interfered  with.  It  is  well 
to  allow  a  slight  leakage  to  insure  its  not  being  too  tight. 

Oiling  the  Governor.  Oil  the  governor  thoroughly 
with  good  oil.  Oil  regularly  (at  least  twice  a  day)  the 
brass  washer  at  the  top,  the  horizontal  shaft,  the  barrel 
(which  is  oiled  from  the  top),  etc.  Keep  the  governor 
clean  and  oil-holes  open.  If  oil  has  been  used  which  gums 
or  causes  the  parts  to  stick,  a  little  kerosene  poured  into 
the  oil  holes  will  clean  the  parts.  If  the  use  of  gummy 
oil  is  continued,  this  treatment  should  be  repeated  once 
a  week  after  shutting  down. 

The  Governor  Belt.  Use  a  thin  flat  belt  and  see  that 
the  lacing  or  fastening  is  hammered  down  flat,  so  that  no 


74 


SCIENCE    OF    SUCCESSFUL    THRESHING 


VALVE  STEM 


STUFFING  BOX 


bunch  remains  to  cause  an  uneven  working  of  the  gov- 
ernor. The  belt  should  be  sufficiently  taut  to  prevent 
slipping,  but  not  so  taut  as  to  cause  undue  friction. 

The  belt  should  be  kept  free  from  excessive  oil  or 
grease  from  other  parts  of  the  engine.  This  may  be  wiped 
off  with  a  clean  cloth  moistened  with  a  little  kerosene  or 
benzine  and  afterwards  wiped  again  with  a  dry  cloth. 

Governor  Troubles.     If  the  governor  "jumps"  or  is 

irregular,  it  is  probably 
occasioned  by  one  of  the 
following  causes :  First, 
because  the  valve  is  a  lit- 
tle tight;  second,  be- 
cause the  valve-stem  is 
bent;  or,  third,  because 
the  stuffing-box  nut  is 
screwed  down  too  tight- 
ly. Turning  the  valve- 
stem  up  and  down 
while  the  governor  is 
running,  will  show 
whether  the  valve  works 
freely  in  its  seat.  If  it 
binds  at  all,  take  it  out,  and  rub  it  with  a  fine  emery  cloth, 
but  never  attempt  to  file  it.  In  taking  the  governor  apart, 
the  top  must  be  lifted  off  as  "true"  as  possible,  so  as  not  to 
bend  the  valve-stem.  If  the  valve-stem  becomes  bent 


FIG.     21.        SECTION     OF     WATERS 
GOVERNOR     VALVE. 


THE  ENGINE  PROPER  75 

where  it  passes  through  the  stuffing-box,  it  will  be  best 
to  procure  a  new  stem. 

A  governor  should  hold  down  the  speed  of  the  engine 
and  not  allow  it  to  "race"  or  "run  wild,"  even  with  no 
load  and  full  boiler  pressure.  When  a  governor,  which 
once  controlled  the  speed  properly  fails  to  do  so  it  is  an 
indication  that  either  its  action  is  interfered  with  by  an 
imperfect  stem  or  the  like,  or  else  that  the  valve  and  lining 
have  become  worn  so  that  sufficient  steam  leaks  through 
to  cause  the  engine  to  race.  Sometimes  when  this  is  the 
case,  the  engine  "dies"  when  called  on  to  pull  a  heavy 
load  (as  in  sawing)  on  account  of  the  fact  that  it  is 
screwed  down  too  far  in  the  attempt  to  control  the  speed 
with  no  load.  The  remedy  for  this  trouble  is  a  new  valve 
and  new  lining  or  valve-seat.  The  length  of  time  that  a 
governor  will  run  before  leakage  through  the  valve  be- 
comes troublesome  varies  greatly — from  only  a  season 
or  so  to  perhaps  ten  or  twelve  years,  depending  on  the 
purity  of  the  water. 

Rated  Horse-Power.  Stationary  engines  are  rated  at 
about  their  actual  horse-power,  as  determined  by  brake 
test.  Farm  and  traction  engines,  on  the  other  hand,  have 
been  rated  very  much  below  their  actual  or  brake  horse- 
power, which  is  to  be  regretted.  As  the  practice  of  under- 
rating has  existed  since  engines  for  driving  threshing  ma- 
chines were  first  built,  and  has  grown  up  with  the  busi- 
ness, it  is  somewhat  difficult  to  change  this  at  the  present 


76  SCIENCE   OF    SUCCESSFUL    THRESHING 

time,  but  it  is  being  gradually  brought  about.  If  we  look 
into  history  and  causes,  we  find  that  the  early  method  of 
driving  threshing  machines  was  by  horses,  and  when  en- 
gines were  first  used  for  threshing,  a  ten  horse-power  en- 
gine was  supposed  to  supply  about  the  same  amount  of 
power  as  a  lever-power  driven  by  ten  horses.  From  the 
time  of  those  early  engines  to  the  present,  the  competition 
of  different  manufacturers,  all  endeavoring  to  furnish 
the  most  powerful  engine  of  a  given  rating,  and  the  raising 
of  the  steam  pressure  from  60  to  130  or  even  160  pounds 
(which  was  done  without  reducing  the  size  of  the  cylinder 
of  a  given  rating),  has  caused  the  rating  of  engines  of 
this  class  to  become  more  and  more  confusing.  The  re- 
lation which  the  rated  horse-power  bears  to  the  actual  size 
of  the  engine  varies  so  greatly  that,  in  reality,  the  "rated 
horse-power"  gives  only  a  very  indefinite  idea  of  the 
actual  size  of  an  engine.  There  are  reasons  why  it  is 
preferable  to  indicate  the  size  of  an  engine  by  size  of  its 
cylinder,  instead  of  by  its  rated  horse-power;  for  example, 
to  say  a  "nine  by  ten"  rather  than  a  "fifteen  horse"  engine. 
However,  besides  the  cylinder  size,  the  steam  pressure 
carried  and  the  speed  are  also  important  factors  in  de- 
termining the  amount  of  horse-power  an  engine  will  de- 
velop, and  therefore  a  brake  rating  based  on  the  actual 
load  the  engine  is  capable  of  carrying  is  the  only  satis- 
factory method.  English  engines  are  more  under-rated 
than  any  of  those  built  in  the  United  States,  but  in  compar- 


THE  ENGINE  PROPER  77 

ing  the  engines  of  these  countries,  the  difference  in  steam 
pressure  and  speed  must  be  taken  into  consideration,  as 
well  as  the  difference  in  the  size  of  cylinders.  The  methods 
of  obtaining  the  exact  horse-power  of  an  engine  with  the 
indicator  or  the  Prony  brake  are  becoming  better  known, 
but  it  is  probable,  however,  that  all  engines  will  not  be  cor- 
rectly rated  for  some  time  to  come. 

Engine  Horse-Power.  The  unit  of  power  is  a  "horse- 
power" which  is  defined  as  the  amount  of  power  necessary 
to  raise  thirty-three  thousand  pounds  one  foot  in  one  min- 
ute. From  this  it  will  be  seen  that,  if  we  know  the  amount 
of  force  exerted  in  pounds  and  multiply  by  the  number  of 
feet  it  travels  in  a  minute  and  then  divide  the  product  so 
obtained  by  33,000,  we  will  have  the  result  in  horse-power. 
We  have,  then,  as  our  unit  of  horse-power  something  that 
means  a  definite  amount  and  one  that  can  be  easily  meas- 
ured, with  reasonable  accuracy. 

The  horse-power  of  an  engine  may  be  found  by  multi- 
plying the  average,  total  effective  pressure  on  the  piston, 
by  the  number  of  feet  it  travels  per  minute,  and  dividing 
by  thirty-three  thousand.  The  total  effective  pressure 
on  the  piston  is  equal  to  its  area  in  square  inches,  multi- 
plied by  the  effective  pressure  per  square  inch,  which  is 
not  constant,  but  varies,  being  nearest  boiler  pressure  dur- 
ing the  early  part  of  the  stroke  and  decreasing  after  the 
point  of  cut-off  is  passed,  as  the  steam  expands,  until  the 


78  SCIENCE   OF    SUCCESSFUL    THRESHING 

end  of  the  stroke  is  reached.  The  effective  pressure  is  the 
pressure  remaining  after  subtracting  the  back  pressure  of 
the  exhaust,  which  is  exerted  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
piston. 

Indicated  Horse-Power.  The  pressure  at  the  different 
parts  of  the  stroke  can  be  actually  measured  only  by  means 
of  the  steam-engine  indicator.  This  instrument  has  a  small 
piston,  connected  to  a  pencil  point  in  such  a  way  that  move- 
ment of  the  piston  is  registered  on  a  card.  Since  the 
movement  of  the  piston  is  resisted  by  a  calibrated  spring, 
its  position  depends  upon  the  amount  of  pressure  it  is  sub- 
jected to,  and  as  the  card  moves,  corresponding  to  the 
movement  of  the  engine  piston,  therefore,  the  amount 
of  pressure  at  all  points  may  be  known  from  the  diagram 
made  by  the  pencil  point.  Knowing  the  pressures  at  the 
various  points  of  the  stroke,  it  is  easy  to  multiply  the  aver- 
age by  the  travel  of  the  piston  in  feet  per  minute  and  thus 
determine  the  horse-power.  The  result  so  obtained  is 
called  the  "indicated"  horse-power.  The  indicator  meas- 
ures the  power  developed  in  the  cylinder  and,  of  course, 
it  takes  a  part  of  this  to  run  the  engine  itself.  The 
amount  so  consumed  is,  roughly,  ten  per  cent,  of  the  whole. 

Brake  Horse-Power.  The  net  horse-power  delivered  at 
the  fly-wheel  may  be  actually  measured  by  means  of  a  de- 
vice known  as  the  "Prony  brake."  Sometimes  the  brake  is 
mounted  on  the  engine  shaft,  but  more  often  the  engine  is 
belted  to  the  brake,  as  shown  in  Fig.  22.  A  Prony  brake 
consists  essentially  of  a  band  which  may  be  tightened  so 


THE  ENGINE  PROPER 


79 


as  to  apply  friction  to  a  revolving  shaft,  pulley  or  drum, 
in  such  a  manner  that  the  tendency  of  the  band  to  revolve 
with  the  shaft  is  resisted  by  weighing  scales,  which  will 
show  the  amount  of  pull.  The  result  so  obtained  is  called 
the  "brake"  horse-power.  It  is  evident  that  the  difference 
between  the  indicated  and  brake  horse-power  is  the  power 
required  to  run  the  engine,  that  is,  to  overcome  the  friction 
in  the  engine  itself  and  sometimes  in  the  brake  also. 

Since  we  can  know  the  speed  of  the  revolving  shaft, 


FIG.   22.      ENGINE  BELTED  TO  PRONY  BRAKE. 

the  scale  reading  and  the  distance  in  feet  that  the  point 
at  which  the  scales  are  applied  would  travel  in  one  revo- 
lution if  allowed  to  turn  with  the  shaft,  we  can  determine 
the  horse-power  by  multiplying  these  three  amounts  to- 
gether and  dividing  by  33,000.  Sometimes  the  radius  of 
the  circle  that  the  scales  act  on,  or  "brake-arm"  as  it  is 
called,  is  made  63  inches  and  when  this  is  the  case  the 
calculating  is  simplified  because  it  is  then  only  necessary 
to  multiply  the  number  of  revolutions  per  minute  by  the 
number  of  pounds  shown  by  the  scales  and  divide  the  prod- 
uct by  1,000  in  order  to  determine  the  horse-power. 

A  good  example  of  a  Prony  brake  is  shown  in  Fig.  23. 


8o 


SCIENCE   OF    SUCCESSFUL    THRESHING 


The  friction  wheel  on  this  has  inner  and  outer  flanges  on 
the  rim.  The  friction  band  consists  of  a  flexible  strap  of 
steel  with  wooden  blocks  attached  to  it  to  form  the  friction 
surfaces.  The  desired  tension  on  the  band  is  obtained 
by  means  of  the  adjusting  screw  with  hand-wheel.  The 
brake-arm  rests  on  a  knife-edge  on  the  top  of  a  post  which 
in  turn  rests  on  a  platform  scale.  Overheating  is  prevented 


FIG.    23.      PRONY    BRAKE. 

by  keeping  a  flow  of  cooling  water  on  the  inside  of  the  rim. 
Centrifugal  force  and  the  flanges  hold  the  water  against 
the  inside  of  the  rim  when  the  wheel  is  in  motion.  A 
pipe  with  its  end  in  the  form  of  a  scoop  removes  the  heated 
water  while  another  continually  discharges  fresh  water 
into  the  rim.  Heavy  grease  is  applied  to  the  rubbing 
surfaces. 


THE  ENGINE  PROPER  81 

There  are  several  other  forms  of  Prony  brake  in  com- 
mon use.  A  very  satisfactory  one  is  similar  to  the  one  in  the 
cut  except  that  the  band  is  tightened  by  a  lever  and  weights 
instead  of  the  screw.  The  influence  of  these  tension 
weights  on  the  scale  reading  must  be  taken  into  account, 
but  otherwise  this  arrangement  has  an  advantage  since 
the  tension  on  the  band  is  not  changed  by  contraction  and 
expansion  due  to  changes  in  temperature.  In  another 
form  of  the  Prony  brake,  sometimes  called  a  "rope  brake," 
several  strands  of  rope  are  used  in  place  of  the  friction 
band  with  wood  blocks.  The  principle,  however,  is  the 
same  in  all. 

Draw-Bar  Horse-Power.  Since  we  know  that  horse- 
power is  simply  force  in  pounds  multiplied  by  the  dis- 
tance in  feet  travelled  in  one  minute  and  divided  by  33,0x30, 
it  is  a  very  simple  matter  to  determine  the  horse-power 
being  delivered  at  the  draw-bar  of  a  traction  engine.  For 
this  purpose  a  draw-bar  dynamometer  is  used.  This  in- 
strument is  simply  a  form  of  spring  scales  of  suitable 
proportions  and  is  sometimes  provided  with  a  recording 
device. 

Calculating  the  Horse-Power.  Although,  as  already 
stated,  the  average  pressure  on  the  piston  can  be  meas- 
ured only  by  means  of  the  steam-engine  indicator,  we 
can,  for  calculation,  assume  a  value  for  it  that  is  ac- 
curate enough  for  ordinary  purposes.  This  we  will  take 
to  be  fifty  per  cent,  of  the  boiler  pressure,  a  value  which 


82  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

closely  approximates  the  actual  one  for  engines  of  the  class 
we  are  dealing  with.  Then,  with  a  boiler  pressure  of  one 
hundred  and  thirty  pounds,  our  average  effective  pressure 
(or  "mean  effective  pressure,"  as  it  is  called)  per  square 
inch  will  be  fifty  per  cent,  of  one  hundred  and  thirty 
pounds,  or  sixty-five  pounds.  The  formula  commonly  used 
for  determining  the  horse-power  of  an  engine  is  as  fol- 

lows:         FLAN 

33,000  "~     ' 

in  which    P  =  mean  effective  pressure. 
L  =  length  of  stroke  in  feet. 
A  =  area  of  piston  in  square  inches. 
N  —  number  of  strokes  per  minute,  or  twice  the 
number  of  revolutions. 

The  area  of  a  circle  is  equal  to  its  diameter  multiplied 
by  itself  and  the  product  by  .7854.  To  show  the  applica- 
tion of  this  formula,  we  will  take,  for  example,  an  engine 
with  a  Q-inch  bore,  a  lo-inch  stroke,  a  speed  of  250  revo- 
lutions per  minute  and  a  boiler  pressure  of  130  pounds  — 
the  size  of  the  forty-five  horse-power  Case  engine  : 

P  =  50%  of  130  =  65  pounds. 

L  =  10  -s-  12  or  .833  feet. 

A  =  9  x  9  x  .78-54  =  63.617   sq.   inches. 

N  =  250x2  =  500  strokes  per  minute. 

Substituting  these  values  for  the  letters  in  the  formula; 

we  P"et  * 

'    65  x  .833  x  63.617  x  500       _no   , 

=  52.2   horse-power. 


Since  this  is  the  power  developed  in  the  cylinder,  it 
corresponds  to  the  indicated  horse-power,  and  it  is  greater 
than  the  horse-power  delivered  at  the  fly-wheel  or  brake 
horse-power  by  about  ten  per  cent.  Subtracting  this  ten 


THE  ENGINE  PROPER  83 

per  cent.,  we  have  47  brake  horse-power  as  the  result. 
In  applying  the  above  formula,  several  of  the  same  figures 
always  occur,  and  we  may  combine  these  in  order  to  make 
our  formula  as  simple  as  possible.  When  we  have  done 
this,  we  have  it  in  the  following  form : 

PxLxDxDxNxl8_p     „    p 

10,000,000 
in  which    P  =  boiler   pressure   in   pounds   per   sq.   inch. 

L  =  length  of  stroke  in  inches. 

D  =  cylinder  bore  in  inches. 

N  =  number   of    revolutions. 

This  may  be  stated  in  the  form  of  a  rule  which  can 
be  readily  applied  by  any  one.  This  rule  is  as  follows : 

Multiply  together  the  boiler-pressure,  the  length  of 
the  stroke  in  inches,  the  cylinder  bore  in  inches,  again  the 
bore  in  inches,  and  this  product  -finally  by  18.  Divide  the 
result  by  10,000,000  (which  is  simply  pointing  off  seven 
places'),  and  the  quotient  is  the  brake  horse-power. 

The  following  illustrates  the  application  of  this  rule 
to  the  Case  forty-five  horse  engine : 

130  =  boiler  pressure. 

10  =  length  of  stroke  in  inches. 
1,300 

9  =  cylinder  bore  in  inches. 


11,700 

9  —  cylinder  bore  in  inches. 


105,300 

250  =  revolutions  per  minute. 


5,265,000 
21.060.000 
26,320,000 

18  =  the  constant. 


210,560.000 
263.200.000 

473,760,000 


84  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL,  THRESHING 

Dividing  by  10,000,000,  or  pointing  off  seven  places, 
we  get  47.4=brake  horse-power. 

Compounded  Engines.  A  compounded  engine  is  one 
in  which  the  steam  is  expanded  in  two  or  more  cylinders. 
Threshing  engines,  when  compounded,  are  "two-cylinder" 
compounds,  but  large  stationary  and  marine  engines  are 
often  "triple"  and  sometimes  "quadruple"  expansion. 


FIG.   24.      SECTIONAL  VIEW   OF  "WOOLF"   COMPOUNDED  CYLINDER. 

There  are  different  types  of  two-cylinder  compounds,  viz. : 
the  "cross,"  where  the  cylinders  are  abreast  and  each 
piston  connected  to  a  separate  crank ;  the  "trunk,"  in  which 
two  pistons  of  the  same  size  are  connected  by  an  enlarged 
rod  or  trunk,  the  high-pressure  cylinder  being  in  the  form 
of  an  annular  ring  between  the  pistons,  and  the  low- 
pressure  at  the  ends  of  the  long  cylinder  which  is  the  same 


THE  ENGINE  PROPER 


bore  throughout;  and  the  "tandem,"  having  one  cylinder 
behind  the  other,  with  both  pistons  on  the  same  rod.  The 
latter  has  proved  to  be  the  type  best  adapted  for  use  on 
farm  and  traction  engines. 

The  Woolf  Compound.  The  cut  Fig.  24  shows 
a  sectional  view  of  the  "Woolf "-tandem-compound  cyl- 
inder used  on  "Case"  compound  engines.  Its  operation  is 
as  follows:  The  steam  from  the  boiler  enters  the  valve 
(which  is  hollow),  through  the  large  opening  at  the  crank 
end,  passes  through  the  valve  and  out  at  the  narrow  open- 
ing near  the  head  end,  which,  as  the  valve  moves,  alter- 
nately comes  opposite  the  two  ports  leading  to  the  ends 
of  the  small  or  high  pressure  cylinder.  The  valve  in 
moving  also  alternately  uncovers  these  ports,  allowing  the 
high-pressure  cylinder  to  exhaust  into  the  steam  chest. 
The  low-pres- 
sure cylinder 
receives  the 
steam  from 
the  steam 
chest,  and  ex- 
h  a  u  s  t  s 
(through  the 
heater)  into 

the  stack,  in  exactly  the  same  manner  as  a  simple  engine. 
The  valve  is  "balanced"  because  high-pressure  steam  is 
under  and  tending  to  lift  it,  while  the  low-pressure  steam 


r  •*! 

I 


J 


FIG.    25.      FACE   OF    COMPOUNDED    VALVE. 


86 


SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 


is  on  top,  and  pressing  it  against  its  seat.     When  the 

engine  is  running  with 
a  light  load,  the  pressure 
is  sometimes  insufficient 
to  hold  the  valve  against 
its  seat,  in  which  case  a 
loud  clattering  noise  is 
made  by  the  valve  as  it 
rises  from  and  returns 
to  its  seat.  To  prevent 

FIG.  26.  PIPE  TO  STEAM  PLUGS.  this,  two  steam  plugs 
are  placed  in  the  chambered  steam-chest  cover,  so  that, 
when  the  valve  in  the  small  steam  pipe  connecting  this 
chamber  with  the  main  steam-pipe  is  open,  the  live  steam 
pressure  against  the  plugs  holds  the  valve  against  its  seat. 
To  Take  Apart  the  Compounded  Cylinder.  To  take 
out  the  pistons  for  renewing  the  piston-rings  or  for  other 
purposes,  first  unbolt  and  remove  the  high-pressure  cyl- 
inder. Then  loosen  the  jam-nut  and  unscrew  the  rod 
from  the  cross-head  by  turning  the  pistons.  The  rod  with 
the  two  pistons  and  the  center-head  may  now  be  pulled 
out.  In  replacing  the  cylinder,  loosen  the  three  (or  four), 
set-screws,  which  hold  the  center-head  in  position,  and 
after  the  high-pressure  cylinder  is  bolted  in  place,  tighten 
them  up  in  order  to  hold  the  center-head  in  position  and 
prevent  leakage.  If  the  asbestos  gasket  has  been  injured 
it  will  be  necessary  to  put  in  a  new  one. 


THE  ENGINE  PROPER 


Center-Head  Packing.  Leakage  around  the  rod,  be- 
tween the  two  cylinders,  is  prevented  by  metallic  packing, 
which,  with  sufficient  lubrication  and  clean  water  in  the 
boiler,  will  re- 
main tight  dur- 
ing the  life  of 
the  engine.  The 
ace  ompanying 
cuts  show  a  side 
and  a  sectional 
view  of  the  me- 
tallic piston-rod 
packing  which 
is  located  in  the  FIG-  2?-  THE  CENTER-HEAD  PACKING. 

center-head  between  the  high  and  low-pressure  cylinders. 
In  the  side  view,  the  rings  G  and  B  are  removed.  The 
center-head  is  represented  by  A.  The  iron-packing  rings 
D  and  E  are  each  in  three  parts  or  segments  and  are  held 
in  their  proper  places  by  the  spring  C.  These  segments  of 
rings  are  so  placed  that  they  "break  joints,"  as  can  readily 
be  seen  from  the  side  elevation.  They  are  held  in  position, 
relative  to  each  other,  by  the  dowel  pin,  H.  These  packing 
rings  are  held  in  place  by  the  ring  B,  and  also  by  the  ring 
G,  which  is  fastened  to  the  head  with  three  cap-screws,  F. 
The  head  is  held  in  its  position  between  the  cylinders  by 
set-screws,  as  can  readily  be  seen  from  Fig.  24. 

To  Test  the  Center-Head  Packing,  set  the  reverse  lever 


88  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL,  THRESHING 

for,  say,  the  threshing  motion  and  turn  the  engine  in  the 
direction  in  which  it  would  run,  just  past  the  crank-end 
dead-center.  Block  the  cross-head  so  that  the  crank-shaft 
cannot  revolve,  disconnect  the  cylinder-cock  rod,  and  open 
the  throttle.  This  will  admit  steam  on  the  crank-end  of  the 
high  pressure  cylinder,  and  if  the  cylinder-cock  on  the 
head-end  of  the  low-pressure  cylinder  blows  steam  when 
opened,  it  can  come  only  from  leakage  of  the  metallic 
packing  in  the  center-head. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  VALVE-GEAR 

THE  mechanism  that  operates  the  valve  of  an  engine 
is  known  as  the  "valve-gear."  On  stationary  or 
portable  engines,  which  are  only  required  to  run 
in  one  direction,  the  valve  gear  consists  simply  of  an 
eccentric  on  the  crank  shaft  (to  which  the  valve  stem  is 
connected  by  means  of  the  eccentric-rod),  and  a  guide  to 
keep  the  valve-stem  in  alignment.  As  traction  engines 
must  be  run  in  both  directions,  a  reversing-  valve  gear  is 
required,  which  necessarily  renders  the  valve  gear  more 
complicated.  There  have  been  numerous  mechanisms  in- 
vented for  this  purpose,  but  most  traction  engines  are 
equipped  with  either  the  "link"  or  the  Woolf  reverse,  as 
these  are  almost  the  only  ones  that  have  withstood  the  test 
of  time. 

It  is  apparent,  that,  in  order  to  use  steam  econom- 
ically, it  must  be  allowed  to  pass  in  and  out  of  the  cylinder 
at  precisely  the  right  moments,  and  during1  certain  inter- 
vals. Consequently,  the  economy  of  a  steam  engine  de- 
pends almost  entirely  upon  the  valve-gear,  which  should, 
therefore,  be  kept  in  good  repair.  The  ease  with  which 
the  valve  is  moved,  depends  largely  upon  its  lubrication. 


THE  VALVE-GEAR  QI  ' 

If  the  valve  be  allowed  to  run  dry,  the  valve-gear  is  sub- 
jected to  an  immense  amount  of  unnecessary  work,  which 
soon  wears  it,  so  that  the  valve  does  not  move  as  it  should, 
and  the  engine  becomes  wasteful  in  its  use  of  steam.  The 
valve  should  be  well  lubricated  at  all  times,  the  wearing 
parts  of  the  valve-gear  should  be  oiled  frequently  and  every 
precaution  taken  to  keep  the  valve-gear  in  first  class  con- 
dition. The  wear  should  be  taken  up  as  fast  as  it  appears 
so  that  the  parts  are  not  allowed  to  pound. 

The  Woolf  Valve-Gear.  The  Woolf  valve-gear  pos- 
sesses advantages  over  the  other  devices  used  for  reversing 
traction  engines,  which  entitle  it  to  rank  as  the  most  popu- 
lar and  satisfactory  means  for  this  purpose  known  at  the 
present  time.  It  is  very  simple,  consisting  of  a  single 
eccentric,  the  "strap"  of  which  is  extended  to  form  an  arm; 
to  the  end  of  this  arm  is  pivoted  a  block,  which  slides  in 
a  guide  connected  to  the  hand  lever  and  pivoted  in  such  a 
way  that  the  angle  of  the  block's  path  depends  upon  the 
position  of  the  hand  lever ;  the  eccentric  rod  transmits  the 
motion  from  the  eccentric  arm  (to  which  it  is  connected), 
to  the  valve  stem  through  a  rocker  arm  or  guided  "slide." 
It  will  be  seen  that  the  angle  of  the  "block  guide"  de- 
termines the  amount  of  travel  of  the  valve.  By  placing  the 
reverse  lever  at  or  near  the  center  of  the  quadrant,  the 
reverse  gear  acts  as  an  efficient  brake  in  controlling  the  en- 
gine when  descending  hills,  or  at  any  time  when  it  is  desir- 
able to  suddenly  check  the  speed  of  the  engine.  This  reverse 


92  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL,  THRESHING 

allows  of  "hooking  up,"  that  is,  placing  the  lever  in  notches 
between  the  end  and  center  of  the  quadrant.  In  these 
positions,  the  valve  travel  is  reduced  and  the  points  of 
"cut-off"  made  earlier,  which,  of  course,  lessens  the  amount 
of  steam  required.  It  is,  therefore,  economy  to  run  the 
engine  "hooked  up"  whenever  its  load  will  allow.  Pro- 
vision is  made  for  taking  up  lost  motion  in  the  parts  sub- 
jected to  wear.  All  the  joints  should  be  kept  well  oiled, 
but  the  only  parts  which  require  frequent  attention  in  this 
respect,  are  the  eccentric  and  the  sliding  block.  When  the 
valve  is  sufficiently  lubricated,  and  the  valve-gear  is  prop- 
erly oiled  and  adjusted,  the  reverse  lever  is  easily  handled, 
when  under  a  full  head  of  steam. 

Caution  Against  Disturbing  the  Valve  Setting.  It  so 
often  happens  that  an  expert,  when  called  to  an  engine, 
finds  that  the  valve  has  been  re-set  after  the  engine  left 
the  factory,  that  it  seems  best,  at  this  point,  to  say  a  few 
words  of  caution  against  disturbing  the  valve  of  a  new 
engine.  Let  us  advise  you  not  to  jump  to  the  conclusion 
that  your  valve  is  incorrectly  constructed  or  improperly 
set.  Remember  that  the  engine  has  been  designed  and  built 
by  experienced  men,  thoroughly  competent  to  make  it  all 
that  it  should  be.  Remember,  too,  that  the  engine  has  been 
tested  at  the  factory,  in  the  belt  and  on  the  road  with  heavy 
loads,  within  sight  and  hearing  of  a  dozen  men,  whose  long 
experience  has  made  them  so  critical  that  they  could  not 
fail  to  detect  anything  wrong  in  the  engine's  performance. 


THE  VALVE-GEAR  gy 

Let  us  add  that  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  where  an  expert 
is  called  to  reset  a  valve,  he  finds  that  it  has  been  disturbed 
since  it  left  the  testing  room.  Do  not,  then,  conclude  that 
your  valve  is  "off,"  until  you  have  carefully  investigated 
whatever  trouble  there  may  be. 

There  are  men  in  nearly  every  locality  throughout 
the  country,  who  are  confident  that  they  themselves  know 
more  about  setting  valves  than  do  the  manufacturers.  These 
men  affirm  that  whatever  trouble  they  may  have  is  due 
to  the  working  of  the  valve,  and,  when  no  improvement 
is  shown  after  they  have  reset  it,  they  say  that  the  valve- 
gear  was  not  properly  constructed  and  designed  originally. 
If  they  had  carefully  investigated  the  trouble  before  dis- 
turbing the  valve,  they  would  have  discovered  the  real 
cause,  due  probably  to  either  insufficient  cylinder  and  valve 
lubrication,  or  to  a  priming  tendency  of  the  boiler.  The 
causes  of,  and  the  remedies  for  these  difficulties  are  dis- 
cussed elsewhere  in  this  book. 

Finding  the  "Dead  Centers."  An  engine  is  on  its 
"dead  center"  when  a  line  drawn  through  the  center  of 
the  piston-rod  will  pass  through  the  center  of  the  crank- 
pin.  There  are  two,  the  "crank"  dead-center,  when  the 
piston  is  at  the  end  of  the  cylinder  nearest  the  crank-shaft, 
and  the  "head"  dead-center,  when  the  piston  is  at  the  or> 
posite  end.  An  engine  is  said  to  be  running  "over"  when 
the  top  of  rim  of  fly-wheel  runs  away  from  the  cylinder 
and  running  "under"  when  the  top  of  rim  of  fly-wheel  runs 


94 


SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 


towards  the  cylinder.  "Case"  engines  are  marked  for 
finding  the  dead-centers  at  the  factory,  and  by  applying 
one  of  the  company's  trams,  as  indicated  in  Fig.  29,  they 
may  be  readily  placed  on  either  dead-center.  It  may  be 
necessary  to  scrape  off  the  paint  to  find  the  prick-punch 

marks  on  the  frame  and  on 
the  crank-disc.  The  tram 
shown  in  the  illustration 
measures  eight  and  three-six- 
teenths inches  between  the 
points,  which  size  has  been 
used  by  the'  "Case"  company 
for  many  years.  It  will  be 
seen  that  a  "Case"  engine 
may  be  put  on  its  dead  cen- 
ters by  using  a  pair  of  dividers  set  to  this  distance,  but 
they  do  not  serve  the  purpose  as  well  as  the  tram.  The 
following  method  of  finding  the  dead  centers  is  the  one 
used  at  the  factory,  and  is  generally  used  on  all  styles 
of  engines.  To  put  it  into  use,  first  take  up  all  lost  motion 
in  the  connecting-rod  brasses,  crank-shaft  bearing  and 
cross-head  shoes.  Then  turn  the  engine  until  the  piston 
lacks  an  inch  or  so  of  completing  its  stroke.  Make  a 
prick-punch  mark  at  any  convenient  place  on  the  cross- 
head  (see  Fig.  30),  insert  one  point  of  the  tram  in  the 
mark  and  with  the  other  point,  make  a  scratch  on  the 
engine  frame  to  locate  a  second  prick-punch  mark.  The 


FIG.    29.      TRAM    ON    DISC. 


THE  VALVE-GEAR 


95 


tram  points  should  now  measure  the  exact  distance  be- 
tween the  two  marks  and  when  applied  should  be  nearly 
parallel  to  the  piston-rod,  as  shown  in  Fig.  30.  In  the 
same  manner,  a  mark  should  be  made  at  any  convenient 
place  on  the  frame  near  the  crank-disc,  a  scratch  made  on 
the  disc  (which  should  come  across  the  face  of  the  disc), 
and  a  light  prick-punch  mark  made  on  the  disc,  so  that  the 
tram  measures  the  exact  distance  between  the  marks,  as 
shown  in  Fig.  29.  Next, 

turn  the  engine  until  the     _rr-^- rr- 

cross-head  comes  back 
to  the  same  place,  but 
with  the  crank-pin  on 
the  other  side  of  the 
dead-center,  holding  the 
tram  with  one  point  in 
the  mark  on  the  frame,  near  the  guides,  and  the  other  so 
that  it  will  drop  into  the  cross-head  prick-punch  mark 
when  it  comes  to  the  right  place.  Next,  place  one  leg  of 
the  tram  in  the  other  mark  on  the  frame  and  make 
a  scratch  on  the  disc  as  before,  to  locate  the  second  mark 
on  the  rim  of  the  crank-disc.  When  this  is  done,  find 
the  mid-point  between  the  two  marks  (which  are  tem- 
porary), on  the  disc,  with  a  pair  of  dividers,  mark  it 
clearly,  and  then  destroy  the  two  original  marks.  The 
other  dead-center  is  found  in  the  same  rmnner.  Now 
when  the  crank-disc  is  turned  around  until  the  tram  point 


FIG.    30.       TRAM    ON     CKOSS-HEAD. 


96  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

drops  into  one  of  the  marks  on  it,  the  engine  will  be  on 
either  of  its  dead-centers.  With  engines,  on  which  the 
crank-disc  is  not  easily  reached,  the  prick-punch  marks 
for  the  tram  are  usually  located  on  the  fly-wheel  rim.  They 
were  so  placed  on  "Case"  center-crank  engines. 

In  placing  the  engine  on  its  dead-centers,  in  examin- 
ing the  valve  setting,  or  in  setting  the  valve,  it  should 
always  be  turned  in  the  direction  indicated  by  the  reverse 
lever,  that  is,  if  the  reverse  lever  is  in  the  forward  end 
of  the  quadrant,  the  engine  should  be  turned  "under," 
or  in  the  direction  in  which  it  runs  when  threshing.  If 
turned  past  the  mark,  it  should  be  turned  the  opposite 
way  and  again  brought  to  the  mark,  moving  in  the  right 
direction.  This  eliminates  any  error  due  to  lost  motion. 

To  Determine  if  the  Valve  Setting  has  been  Disturbed. 
New  engines  have  their  valves  set  at  the  factory  before 
being  painted,  so  that  broken  paint  often  reveals  the  fact 
that  someone  has  re-set  the  valve.  Besides  this  indication, 
"Case"  engines  are  provided  with  marks,  by  means  of 
which,  one  can  determine  whether  or  not  the  valve  setting 
has  been  disturbed  since  the  engine  left  the  factory  and, 
if  it  has  been  disturbed,  furnish  the  means  to  bring  it  back 
to  the  original  setting  without  removing  the  steam  chest 
cover.  The  eccentric  hub  and  the  shaft  are  marked,  as 
with  a  sharp  cold  chisel,  so  that  the  marks  meet  when  the 
eccentric  is  in  its  proper  position.  When  one  suspects  that 
the  eccentric  has  slipped  from  its  original  position,  an  ex- 


THE 


97 


amination  of  these  marks  will  show  whether  it  has  or  has 
not.  If  it  has  slipped,  the  trouble  may  be  corrected  by 
loosening  the  set-screws  and  rotating  it  around  the  shaft 
until  the  marks  correspond.  An  eccentric  is  liable  to  slip 
when  it  becomes  hot  from  running  without  oil  and  this 
tendency  in  such  cases  is  sometimes  strong  enough  to 
draw  over  or  even  shear  off  the  points  of  the  set  screws 
which  secure  the  eccentric. 

Besides  the  marks  on  the  eccentric,  there  are  marks 
on  the  valve-stem  and  its  stuffing-box,  in  order  to  make 
apparent  any  change  in  the  length  of  the  valve-rod  or  the 
eccentric-rod.  To  use  these  marks,  however,  one  should 
have  one  of  the  Company's  valve-rod  trams.  This  is 
shorter  than  the  one  used  on  the  crank-disc  and  measures 
exactly  four  and  three-sixteenths  inches  between  points. 
It  is  used  as  shown  in  Fig.  31.  There  are  two  marks  on 
the  valve-stem  and  they 
should  be  on  top.  When 
the  reverse  lever  is  at  the 
rear  end  of  the  quadrant, 
(i.  e.,  the  road  motion), 
and  the  engine  is  placed 
on  one  of  its  dead  centers, 
the  valve-rod  tram  should 
drop  into  one  of  the  marks, 
and  when  the  engine  is  placed  on  its  other  dead-center, 
the  tram  should  drop  into  the  other  mark.  If  the  tram 

7 


FIG.   31.      TRAM   ON   VALVE-STEM. 


98  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

points  do  not  drop  into  the  marks,  the  eccentric  rod  should 
be  adjusted  as  to  length  until  they  do  or  else  the  valve 
must  be  entirely  re-set  as  explained  below. 

How  to  Set  the  Valve  on  Engines  with  Woolf  Reverse. 
After  having  taken  up  all  the  lost  motion  on  the  valve- 
gear,  main-bearings,  crank-pin  and  cross-head  pin  and 
shoes,  and  being  provided  with  the  tram  for  placing  the 
engine  on  its  dead-centers,  as  explained,  proceed  to  set 
the  valve  as  follows : 

First.  Length  of  Reacli-Rod.  See  that  the  "reach- 
rod"  from  the  "reverse-lever"  to  the  "block-guide"  is  of 
such  length  that  the  valve  moves  the  same  distance  during 
a  revolution  of  the  fly-wheel  in  one  direction  as  for  a 
revolution  in  the  opposite  direction,  with  the  reverse-lever 
in  the  corresponding  end  notch  of  the  quadrant  in  both 
cases.  The  entire  distance  the  valve  moves,  which  is  called 
the  "valve  travel,"  may  be  conveniently  measured  on 
the  valve  stem  by  the  tram,  as  illustrated  in  Fig.  31,  or 
by  a  pair  of  dividers  or  compasses.  To  do  this  hold  one 
of  the  tram  points  in  the  punch-mark  on  the  stuffing-box 
and,  with  the  other,  make  scratches  across  the  rod  as  the 
fly-wheel  is  slowly  revolved.  If  the  "valve  travel"  be 
more  for  one  motion  than  for  the  other,  it  shows  that 
the  reach-rod  is  either  too  long  or  too  short  to  give  the 
proper  angularity  to  the  block-guide,  which  angularity 
determines  the  travel  of  the  valve.  This  rod  can  be  easily 
adjusted  to  the  correct  length  by  taking  the  pin  out  of  the 


THE  VALVE-GEAR  99 

lever  and  turning  the  forked  head  on  the  rod  until  the 
required  length  is  obtained.  The  jam-nut  should  then 
be  tightened  to  prevent  lost  motion. 

Second.  Location  of  Eccentric.  See  that  the  eccentric 
is  in  the  proper  position,  which  is,  with  its  point  of  great- 
est throw  nearly  opposite  the  engine  crank-pin  on  all 
engines  except  the  one  hundred  and  ten  horse-power,  on 
which  it  is  in  line  with  the  crank-pin.  The  movement  of 
the  valve  in  throwing  the  lever  from  one  end  notch  to  the 
other  end  notch  of  the  quadrant,  with  the  engine  on  its 
dead-center,  is  called  the  "slip."  When  the  eccentric  is 
properly  located,  the  "slip"  will  be  the  same  for  "head" 
dead-center  as  for  "crank"  dead-center.  The  "slip"  must 
not  only  be  alike  in  amount,  but  must  also  be  in  the 
same  direction  as  that  in  which  the  lever  is  moved,  in 
both  cases.  If  the  "slip"  be  with  the  lever  for  one  dead- 
center,  and  against  it  for  the  other,  the  eccentric  is  not 
in  the  correct  position,  and  should  be  rotated  slightly  on 
the  shaft,  until  the  "slip"  is  in  the  same  direction  as 
that  in  which  the  lever  is  moved,  for  both  dead-centers. 
If  it  be  impossible  to  get  this,  the  pedestal  is  not  the 
right  height,  as  explained  in  the  following  paragraph. 
In  setting  the  eccentric,  one  set-screw  will  hold  it  in  place 
temporarily. 

Third.  Height  of  Pedestal.  See  that  the  pedestal 
is  the  correct  height.  The  amount  of  "slip"  indicates  this, 
and  if  it  be  one-sixteenth  for  both  dead-centers,  and  in 


IOO  SCIENCE   OF    SUCCESSFUL    THRESHING 

the  same  direction  as  that  in  which  the  lever  is  moved,  the 
pedestal  is  the  proper  height.  If  the  pedestal  be  too 
high,  the  "slip"  of  the  valve  will  be  more  than  one-six- 
teenth, and  if  too  low,  it  will  be  less  or  none  at  all,  or  if 
very  low,  the  valve  stem  will  move  in  the  opposite  direction 
to  that  in  which  the  reverse  lever  is  moved.  The  pedestal 
may  be  raised,  by  placing  "shims"  of  sheet-iron  between 
it  and  the  frame  at  the  place  where  it  is  bolted,  and  lowered 
by  removing  the  "shims."  If  there  be  none,  the  pedestal 
must  be  taken  to  a  machine-shop  and  planed  off  in  order 
to  lower  it. 

Fourth.  Dividing  the  Leads.  When  you  know  that 
the  reach-rod  is  the  correct  length;  that  the  eccentric  is 
in  the  proper  position,  and  that  the  pedestal  is  the  correct 
height,  give  the  valve  three-thirty-seconds  of  an  inch 
"lead"  on  the  crank-end  for  the  threshing-motion.  The 
"slip"  of  the  valve,  in  throwing  the  lever  over  to  the  road 
motion,  will  reduce  this  lead  by  one-sixteenth,  so  that  the 
leads  will  be  nearly  alike  for  the  road  motion.  The 
"lead"  should  be  obtained  by  adjusting  the  length  of  the 
eccentric-rod,  allowing  the  nuts  on  the  valve-stem  to 
remain  undisturbed.  If  the  nuts  on  valve-stem  be  loos- 
ened, the  "draw-block"  is  liable  to  be  tilted  so  that  the 
valve  cannot  leave  its  seat  (without  bending  the  rod), 
when  necessary  to  let  water  out  of  cylinder. 

It  is  best,  after  setting  the  valve,  to  go  all  over  it  again 
from  the  beginning,  and  if  all  be  found  correct,  the  eccen- 


THE  VALVE-GEAR-  101 

trie  may  be  set  permanently  by  tightening  both  set-screws, 
for  which  there  are  counter-sunk  depressions  in  the  shaft. 
It  sometimes  happens  when  the  eccentric  strap  has  been 
set  up  too  tightly,  or  has  been  allowed  to  become  dry 
and  hot,  that  the  eccentric  hub  rotates  a  little  on  the  shaft, 
drawing  the  holes  and  set  screws  slightly. 

If  necessary,  the  depressions  may  be  changed  by  slid- 
ing the  eccentric-hub  to  one  side  (after  having  removed 
the  eccentric-strap) ,  and  chipping  them  out  with  a  round- 
nose  chisel  so  that  the  deepest  part  is  in  the  required 
position  for  the  set-screw.  The  eccentric-hub  and  shaft 
should  be  marked  (as  is  done  at  the  factory),  with  a  cold- 
chisel,  so  that  should  the  eccentric  slip,  the  slippage  can  be 
discovered  and  the  eccentric  readily  re-set. 

In  any  style  of  valve-gear  the  "lead"  is  changed  by 
rotating  the  eccentric  around  the  shaft.  It  will  be  seen 
that  the  Woolf  reverse,  having  but  one  eccentric  cannot 
be  adjusted  to  change  the  lead,  because  if  the  lead  be 
increased  for  engine  running  "over,"  it  will  be  decreased 
for  engine  running  "under,"  and  vice  versa.  There  is 
therefore  but  one  position  for  the  eccentric.  This  is  de- 
termined at  the  factory,  and  on  "Case"  engines  built  since 
1898  the  main  shaft  is  countersunk  for  the  set  screws. 

Even  Cut-offs.  The  above  is  the  method  used  in  set-i 
ting  the  valve  on  Thirty,  Thirty-six,  Forty-five,  Sixty  and 
Seventy-five  horse-power  "Case"  traction  engines  at  the 
factory,  and  brake  and  indicator  tests  show  that  these 


IO2  SCIENCE   OF   SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

engines,  with  their  valves  so  set,  easily  develop  their 
rated  horse-power,  and  are  very  economical.  It  will 
be  seen  that  this  method  of  setting  the  valve  gives  unequal 
"leads"  for  the  threshing-motion,  there  being  three-thirty- 
seconds  of  an  inch  on  the  crank-end  and  no  lead  on  the 
head-end.  The  points  of  cut-off,  however,  will  be  "even," 
that  is,  substantially  alike  on  both  ends,  for  both  road  and 
threshing-motions. 

Equal  Leads.  Were  it  desirable  to  set  the  valve  with 
equal  "leads,"  it  could  be  done  by  making  the  pedestal  of 
such  a  height  that  there  would  be  no  "slip."  In  this  case, 
the  points  of  cut-off  would  not  be  even,  and  one  end  of  the 
cylinder  would  do  more  work  than  the  other.  For  this, 
and  other  reasons,  this  method  is  not  recommended. 

Setting  the  Valve  on  Compounds.  The  valve  of  the 
Woolf-compound  cylinder  is  set  in  exactly  the  same  man- 
ner as  that  of  a  simple  engine,  the  part  of  valve  covering 
low-pressure  ports  only,  being  considered. 

How  to  Set  Valve  on  Portable  Engines.  See  that 
there  is  no  lost  motion  in  the  connecting-rod  brasses, 
main  bearings  and  the  valve-rod  connections,  the  latter 
being  most  important.  Remove  steam-chest  cover.  Now, 
with  the  eccentric  secured  to  the  crank-shaft,  slowly  turn 
the  fly-wheel  in  order  to  see  that  the  valve  travels  an 
equal  amount  on  each  side  of  the  ports.  This  may  be 
conveniently  determined  by  making  fine  scratches  on  the 
valve  seat  along  the  edges  of  the  valve  when  in  its  ex- 


THE   VALVE-GEAR  IO3 

treme  positions  and  then  measuring  the  distances  between 
the  scratches  and  the  edges  of  the  ports.  If  a  difference 
exists  in  these  measurements,  adjust  the  valve  stem  by 
lengthening  or  shortening  it,  as  the  case  may  require, 
until  the  valve  travels  the  same  distance  past  the  two  ports. 
Next,  place  the  engine  on  one  of  its  dead  centers,  as  ex- 
plained on  page  93,  and  unless  the  valve  shows  one 
thirty-second  of  an  inch  opening  or  lead  at  the  port  lead- 
ing to  the  end  of  the  cylinder  where  the  piston  is,  the 
eccentric  is  not  in  the  correct  position.  If  it  is  not,  loosen 
it  from  the  crank-shaft  and  rotate  it  until  it  is  about  one- 
quarter  revolution  ahead  of  the  crank-pin  in  the  direction 
in  which  the  engine  is  to  run,  watching  the  valve  as  the 
eccentric  is  revolved,  until  the  port  has  opened  exactly 
one  thirty-second  of  an  inch.  Tighten  the  set  screw  in 
the  eccentric  and  place  the  engine  on  the  opposite  dead- 
center,  and  the  port  opening  will  be  found  to  be  just  one 
thirty-second  of  an  inch  also,  providing  the  work  has 
been  carefully  done. 

The  above  instructions  apply  for  setting  the  valve 
to  run  the  engine  in  either  direction,  it  being  only  neces- 
sary to  see  that  the  eccentric  is  always  a  little  more  than 
one-quarter  revolution  ahead  of  the  crank-pin  in  the  direc- 
tion in  which  the  engine  is  to  run. 

"Case"  portable  engines  are  always  set  at  the  factory 
to  run  "under"  unless  otherwise  ordered. 

Setting  a  Valve  with  Link  Reverse.     After  having 


IO4  SCIENCE   OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

taken  up  all  the  lost  motion,  as  explained,  the  first  thing 
to  do,  in  setting  the  valve  on  an  engine  equipped  with 
the  "link"  reverse,  is  to  find  the  correct  length  of  the 
eccentric-rods.  To  do  this,  take  off  the  steam-chest  cover 
and  place  the  reverse  lever  in  the  last  notch  at  either 
end  of  the  quadrant.  Now,  with  a  scratch-awl  having 
a  very  fine  point,  make  scratches  on  the  valve  seat,  show- 
ing the  extreme  position  of  the  valve  at  each  end  of  its 
travel  as  the  fly-wheel  is  revolved.  Measure  from  the 
marks  to  the  outside  edges  of  the  steam  ports,  and,  if  there 
be  any  difference,  divide  it  up  by  lengthening  or  shorten- 
ing the  eccentric-rod,  that  is  for  the  time  being,  moving 
the  valve.  The  length  of  the  other  rod  is  found  in  the 
same  way,  the  reverse-lever  being  at  the  opposite  end  of 
the  quadrant.  If  the  engine  be  marked  and  you  have  the 
"tram"  for  placing  it  on  the  centers,  as  already  explained, 
proceed  to  set  the  valve  as  follows:  After  the  lengths 
of  the  eccentric-rods  are  correctly  adjusted,  according  to 
the  method  already  given,  place  the  engine  on  one  of  its 
dead-centers,  say,  the  head  one,  and  set  the  reverse  lever 
in  the  last  notch  at  either  end  of  the  quadrant.  The  valve 
should  now  be  in  such  a  position  that  the  port  leading  to 
the  head  end  of  the  cylinder  should  show  a  "lead"  equal 
to  the  thickness  of  an  ordinary  playing  card.  The  amount 
of  lead  may  be  varied  by  rotating  the  eccentric  hub  around 
the  shaft.  Rotating  it  in  the  direction  in  which  the  engine 
is  to  run  increases  the  lead  and  moving  it  in  the  opposite 


THE  VALVE-GEAR  IO5 

direction  decreases  the  lead.  When  you  have  obtained 
the  desired  lead,  place  the  engine  on  the  other  dead-center 
and  see  if  the  lead  be  the  same.  If  it  be  not,  the  valve- 
stem  should  be  lengthened  or  shortened  (by  means  of 
adjusting  nuts),  until  it  is  the  same.  If,  after  dividing 
the  lead,  there  be  too  much  or  too  little,  rotate  the  eccentric 
hub  on  the  shaft,  until  the  required  lead  is  obtained  at 
both  ends.  The  valve  is  now  set  for  the  engine  running 
either  "over"  or  "under,"  according  to  the  end  of  the 
quadrant  at  which  the  reverse  lever  was  set.  The  reverse- 
lever  may  now  be  placed  in  the  other  end  of  the  quadrant 
and  the  valve  set  for  the  other  motion.  This  is  done 
in  the  same  manner,  except  that  the  dividing  of  the  lead 
must  now  be  done  on  the  eccentric-rod  instead  of  the 
valve-stem,  so  that  the  first  setting  will  not  be  disturbed.( 
When  this  is  done,  try  the  other  motion  again,  so  that 
when  you  are  through,  you  know  that  the  lead  is  the  same 
for  both  dead-centers  for  the  engine  running  either  over 
or  under.  The  draw-block  should  be  examined  to  insure 
its  not  being  so  tipped  as  to  prevent  the  valve  from  rising 
from  its  seat  when  necessary  to  let  water  out  of  the 
cylinder. 

With  the  link  reverse,  the  lead  can  be  as  much  or  as 
little  as  desired  and  need  not  be  the  same  for  both  motions. 
However,  lead  equal  to  the  thickness  of  a  playing  card  will 
give  the  best  results  for  this  class  of  engines. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  BOILER 

THE  function  of  the  boiler  is  to  heat  water  suffi- 
ciently to  change  it  into  steam,   for  use  in  an 
engine,  or  for  other  purposes.     The  supply  of 
water  for  the  boiler  has  been  treated  under  "The  Feed 
Water"  in  Chapter  II,  and  the  management  of  the  fire 
with  various  fuels  under  "Firing"  in  Chapter  III. 

Boiler  Fittings.  The  fittings  necessary  for  the  opera- 
tion of  a  boiler,  are  the  feeder  ( for  supplying  the  water) , 
glass  gage  and  gage  cocks  (for  indicating  the  water  level), 
a  steam  gage  (for  indicating  the  pressure),  a  pop  or 
safety  valve  (to  prevent  the  pressure  from  reaching  a 
dangerous  height),  and  a  "blow-off"  valve  (for  draining 
the  boiler) .  A  boiler  is  usually  fitted  also  with  a  whistle 
for  signaling,  a  fusible  plug  and  a  blower  for  forcing  the 
draft.  The  water  feeders,  water  glass  and  gage  cocks 
have  been  treated  under  "Feed  Water"  in  Chapter  II. 

The  Steam  Gage.  The  steam  gage  indicates  the  steam 
pressure  in  the  boiler  in  pounds  per  square  inch.  The  cut 
shows  the  interior  of  the  gage  used  on  "Case"  engines. 
The  curved  tube  or  Bourdon  spring  has  an  oval  cross  sec- 
tion, and  when  exposed  to  pressure  from  the  inside,  tends 

107 


io8 


SCIENCE   OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 


to  straighten,  as  a  hose  will  do  when  under  pressure.    The 
free  end  of  the  Bourdon  tube  is  connected  to  the  hand 

or  pointer  by  means  of  a  seg- 
ment lever  and  pinion  so  that 
the  pointer,  which  is  on  the  same 
shaft  as  the  pinion,  revolves,  in- 
dicating on  the  dial  the  pressure 
on  the  inside  of  the  tube,  which 
is  the  same  as  that  in  the  boiler. 
The  black  dial  with  white  fig- 
ures and  graduations  is  pre- 

FIG.    33-      INTERIOR   OF  GAGE.  ferre(J    by    many    Qn    account    Qf 

the  ease  with  which  the  figures  are  seen  at  night. 

The  Steam-Gage  Siphon.  In  order 
to  prevent  the  temper  of  the  tube  of 
the  gage  from  being  drawn  by  the 
hot  steam,  a  device,  consisting  of  a  bulb 
containing  two  small  tubes  is  placed  be- 
tween the  gage  and  the  boiler.  The 
sectional  view  of  this  "siphon,"  as  it 
is  called,  shows  a  small  tube  extending 
upward  to  the  top  of  the  chamber,  and 
another  depending  downward  towards 
the  bottom.  The  entering  steam  will 
be  deflected  to  the  bottom  of  the  cham- 
ber where  it  is  condensed,  thus  effect- 
FIG.  34.  SECTION  uallv  preventing  any  live  steam  from 
entering  the  gage. 


OF   SIPHON. 


THE   BOILER 


The  stop-cocks  that  are  placed  in  some  steam-gage 
siphons  should  always  be  left  open. 

The  Pop  Safety  Valve.  The  safety  valve  opens  when 
the  pressure  reaches  a  certain  point,  allowing  the  excess 
steam  to  escape  and  closes 
when  the  pressure  has  been 
reduced  a  few  pounds.  The 
valves  are  usually  set  at 
the  factory  to  blow  off  at 
one  hundred  and  thirty 
pounds.  If  a  change  of 
pressure  be  desired,  un- 
screw the  jam  nut  at  the 
top  and  apply  the  key,  pro- 
vided for  this  purpose,  to 
the  pressure  screw.  For 
more  pressure,  screw 
down;  for  less,  unscrew. 
After  having  obtained  the 
desired  pressure,  screw 
the  jam  nut  down  tight  on 
the  pressure  screw.  To 
regulate  the  opening  and  closing  action  of  the  valve,  take 
the  pointed  end  of  a  file  and  apply  it  to  the  teeth  of  the 
regulator.  If  the  valve  closes  with  too  much  loss  of 
boiler  pressure,  move  the  regulator  to  the  right.  This  can 
be  done  when  the  valve  is  at  the  point  of  blowing  off. 


FIG.  35-      SECTIONAL  VIEW 
OF   POP   VALVE. 


IIO  SCIENCE   OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

The  Blower.  The  blower  consists  simply  of  a  pipe 
leading  from  the  boiler  to  a  nozzle  in  the  smoke-stack.  In 
the  pipe  is  a  valve  for  shutting  off  the  steam.  On  traction 
engines  usually  a  rod  is  fitted  to  this  valve,  allowing  it  to 
be  operated  from  the  platform.  The  blower  is  intended 
for  use  only  in  raising  steam,  when  the  engine  is  not 
running.  When  the  engine  is  running,  its  exhaust  is  dis- 
charged into  the  smoke-stack,  creating  what  is  known  as 
"forced"  draft,  as  distinguished  from  "natural"  draft, 
which  is  due  only  to  the  height  of  the  chimney.  When  an 
engine  has  been  running  and  is  temporarily  shut  down 
the  blower  should  not  be  used  unless  the  entire  grate  sur- 
face is  covered  with  burning  fuel.  If  the  blower  be  used 
soon  after  shutting  down  and  the  grates  are  not  entirely 
covered  with  burning  fuel,  cold  air  will  pass  through  the 
dead  places  in  the  grates  direct  to  the  tubes,  cooling  them 
suddenly  and  rendering  them  liable  to  leak. 

The  Fusible  Plug,  sometimes  called  the  "safety-plug" 
or  "soft-plug,"  is  intended  to  melt  and  prevent  the  crown- 
sheet  from  injury  by  low  water.     However, 
it  cannot  be  entirely  relied  on,  for  the  upper 
end  is  apt  to  get  coated  with  lime  or  scale 
and  render  it  useless.    It  should  be  taken  out 
two  or  three  times  during  the  season  and 
scraped  clean,  and  a  new  plug  should  be  put 
FUSIBLE  PLUG  in  or  the  old  one  refilled  at  the  beginning  of 
3N>    each  threshing  season.    In  screwing  the  plug 


THE   BOILER  III 

into  the  crown  sheet,  see  that  it  goes  in  a  sufficient  dis- 
tance, so  that  the  remaining  lower  end  does  not  extend 
into  the  fire-box  so  far  as  to  incur  danger  of  its  "melting 
out"  when  there  is  plenty  of  water  in  the  boiler.  The  plug 
shown  in  Fig.  36  has  no  thread  at  the  upper  end  so  this 
cannot  happen,  but  on  some  plugs  the  thread  extends 
nearly  the  whole  length.  If  a  plug  "melts  out"  in  the 
field,  it  may  be  temporarily  filled  with  lead  or  babbitt 
metal  if  no  tin  is  to  be  had.  Putty  or  moist  clay  will  stop 
up  the  bottom  of  the  hole  while  pouring.  When  cool, 
rivet  it  a  little  to  be  sure  that  it  is  tight.  A  shovel  or  long- 
handled  iron  spoon  will  serve  to  melt  the  metal  if  a  ladle 
be  not  at  hand.  The  melting  point  of  lead  is  610  degrees 
F.,  and  of  babbitt  metal  about  650  degrees  F.  A  proper 
material  for  soft  plugs  is  commercial  tin,  the  melting  point 
of  which  is  about  450  degrees  F.,  or  an  alloy  of  two  parts 
of  lead  and  one  of  tin,  having  a  melting  point  of  440  de- 
grees F.  Either  will  melt  before  the  steel  sheet  is  injured. 
In  some  places  the  law  requires  the  use  of  Banca  tin  in 
fusible  plugs.  This  metal  has  a  melting  point  of  450 
degrees  F. 

Foaming.  When  a  boiler  is  "foaming,"  the  water  in 
the  glass  appears  roily  and  the  level  changes  rapidly,  the 
glass  appearing  full  one  moment  and  nearly  empty  the 
next.  Dirty  water  is  usually  the  cause  of  foaming,  alkali 
or  soap  in  any  quantity  being  especially  bad.  No  one 
should  be  allowed  to  wash  in  the  tank,  as  even  a  small 
amount  of  soap  is  liable  to  cause  trouble.  On  account 


112  SCIENCE   OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

of  the  soap  used  as  a  lubricant  on  the  taps  in  manufacture, 
new  boilers  are  liable  to  foam  until  they  are  washed  out 
two  or  three  times.  It  is  difficult  to  tell  exactly  how  much 
water  there  is  in  a  foaming  boiler,  but  it  is  probable  that 
some  of  it  is  being  drawn  over  with  the  steam,  and  there- 
fore, the  pump  should  feed  more  than  the  usual  amount. 
Do  not  run  too  long  with  a  foaming  boiler,  but  close  the 
throttle  occasionally  to  see  how  full  the  boiler  is  when 
the  water  settles.  The  remedy  for  foaming  is  to  keep  the 
boiler  clean  and  to  use  clean  water.  Foaming  often  causes 
priming.  Foaming  and  priming  are  more  apt  to  occur 
with  low  than  with  high  steam  pressure. 

Priming.  When  water  is  drawn  over  into  the  cylinder 
with  the  steam,  the  engine  is  said  to  "prime."  A  priming 
engine  appears  to  be  working  very  hard,  exhausting  heav- 
ily, throwing  water  from  the  stack  and  often  making  a 
loud  knocking  or  pounding  noise  in  the  cylinder.  Prim- 
ing may  be  caused  by:  I.  Too  high  a  level  of  water  in 
the  boiler.  2.  Too  low  steam  pressure.  3.  Engine  work- 
ing hard  with  the  front  of  the  boiler  low.  4.  Boiler  work- 
ing beyond  its  capacity.  5.  Foaming.  6.  Piston  rings  or 
valve  leaking.  7.  Valve  improperly  set. 

In  case  the  engine  should  begin  to  prime,  the  cylinder 
cocks  should  be  opened  and  the  throttle  partially  closed,  so 
that  the  engine  runs  quite  slowly,  until  dry  steam  comes 
from  the  cylinder  cocks.  Priming  is  liable  to  knock  out  a 
cylinder  head,  break  the  piston-head  or  cross-head,  or  do 


THE  BOILER  113 

other  serious  damage  to  the  engine.  It  always  washes  the 
oil  from  the  cylinder  and  valve,  thereby  causing  the  latter 
to  squeak.  The  lubricator  or  oil  pump  should  be  allowed 
to  feed  quite  freely  after  priming,  or  serious  injury  to  the 
valve-gear  may  result. 

Painting  the  Boiler.  The  greater  part  of  the  boiler  can 
be  kept  black  and  looking  well  by  rubbing  with  oily  waste 
or  rags.  The  front  end  of  the  boiler,  around  the  smoke- 
box,  and  the  smoke-stack  require  painting  from  time  to 
time  to  prevent  them  from  becoming  rusty  and  unsightly. 
For  this,  asphaltum  (which  may  be  thinned  with  turpen- 
tine or  benzine),  or  boiled  linseed  oil  mixed  with  a  little 
lamp  black,  is  suitable.  The  entire  boiler  may  also  be 
painted  with  either  of  these  when  necessary. 

Cleaning  the  Boiler.  No  fixed  rule  can  be  given  as  to 
the  frequency  with  which  a  boiler  should  be  washed  out. 
In  some  localities  it  is  necessary  to  clean  it  twice  a  week, 
while  in  others,  where  the  water  is  almost  perfectly  clean 
and  pure,  once  in  six  weeks  is  sufficient.  In  emptying  the 
boiler  preparatory  to  cleaning,  be  sure  that  all  of  the  fire  is 
out,  and  that  the  steam  pressure  is  below  ten  pounds  before 
opening  the  blow-off  valve.  This  is  necessary,  in  order  to 
prevent  the  mud  from  becoming  baked  on  the  tubes  and 
sheets.  See  that  the  fire  door,  smoke-box  door  and  drafts 
are  all  closed  to  prevent  the  boiler  from  cooling  too  quickly. 
To  clean  the  boiler,  remove  the  plugs  or  hand-hole  plates 
in  the  water-leg  and  also  the  one  at  the  bottom  of  the  front 

8 


114  SCIENCE    OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

tube-sheet.  Wash  the  boiler  thoroughly  with  a  hose,  using 
as  much  pressure  as  possible.  Most  of  the  sediment  will 
be  found  around  the  "water-leg"  and  along  the  bottom  of 
the  barrel.  In  some  localities,  sediment  lodges  against 
the  fire-box  tube-sheet,  causing  the  tubes  to  leak.  When 
this  happens,  a  plug  is  necessary  in  the  boiler  barrel  above 
this  sheet  so  that  the  sediment  can  be  washed  off  with 
a  hose  when  the  boiler  is  cleaned  out. 

Packing  Hand-Hole  Plates.  After  the  boiler  has  been 
cleaned,  the  hand-holes  must  be  re-packed,  for  it  seldom 
happens  that  a  gasket  can  be  used  the  second  time.  For 
re-packing,  it  is  best  to  use  the  purchased  gaskets,  which 
can  be  bought  cut  ready  for  use.  If  preferred,  they  may 
be  cut  from  sheet  rubber  packing  by  the  engineer.  Other 
substances,  such  as  sheet  asbestos,  card-board,  straw- 
board,  or  rubber  belting  are  sometimes  used,  but  the  most 
satisfactory  material  for  this  purpose  is  two-ply  sheet 
rubber,  which  is  about  one-eighth  of  an  inch  thick.  The 
gasket  should  be  cut  so  as  to  fit  closely  around  the  flange 
on  the  plate  and  should  lie  flat.  Before  the  hand-hole  plate 
is  replaced,  the  nut  should  be  oiled  and  screwed  back  and 
forth  the  whole  length  of  the  thread  on  the  bolt,  using  a 
wrench  if  necessary,  until  it  may  be  easily  turned  with  the 
fingers.  The  inside  of  the  boiler  plate  and  the  face  of  the 
hand-hole  plate,  where  the  packing  touches,  should  be 
scraped  as  clean  and  smooth  as  possible.  Care  must  be 
taken  in  inserting  the  plate,  to  prevent  displacing  the 


THE    BOILER  115 

gasket.  When  the  hand-hole  plate  is  in  place,  the  nut 
should  not  be  screwed  down  too  tightly,  when  the  engine 
is  cold,  as  the  gasket  may  be  injured  so  that  it  would  not 
stand  steam  pressure.  It  is  best  to  screw  up  the  nut  only 
moderately  tight  when  cold,  and  turn  it  up  a  little  more 
with  a  wrench  when  steam  begins  to  show  on  the  gage, 
and  then  a  little  more  from  time  to  time  until  the  steam 
gage  shows  working  pressure.  In  this  way,  the  rubber 
has  a  chance  to  soften  with  the  heat  and  adapt  itself  to  the 
iron  surfaces. 

Cleaning  the  Tubes.  The  tubes  should  be  cleaned  at 
least  once  each  day,  whether  in  burning  coal,  wood  or 
straw.  The  tube  scraper  is  adjustable,  and  may  be  set 
out  while  in  the  tube  by  turning  the  rod  to  the  right. 
Turning  the  rod  to  the  left  decreases  the  size  of  the 
scraper.  Soot  is  a  very  poor  conductor  of  heat,  and  even 
a  thin  coating  of  it  affects  the  efficiency  of  the  boiler  to 
a  considerable  extent.  It  is  therefore,  essential  to  keep 
the  scraper  well  set  out,  so  that  all  the  soot  will  be  removed. 

Expanding  and  Beading  the  Tubes.  Leaky  tubes 
should  be  fixed  the  first  time  the  engine  cools.  When  the 
steam  no  longer  shows  on  the  gage,  remove  the  ash-pan 
bottom  and  grates ;  also  the  bricks,  if  the  engine  be  a  straw 
burner.  If  the  leaks  be  only  slight  ones,  they  may  be 
stopped  by  simply  using  a  beading  tool.  To  do  this  clean 
the  end  of  the  tube  and  the  tube  sheet  and  place  the  long 
or  guiding  end  of  the  tool  within  the  tube.  Use  a  small 


Il6  SCIENCE    OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

hammer,  and  with  light  blows  bead  the  tube  all  around, 
moving  the  tool  slightly  at  each  blow.  The  beading  tool 
may  be  used  when  there  is  water  in  the  boiler,  but  care 
must  be  taken  to  use  only  very  light  blows  of  the  hammer 
or  the  concussion  will  be  transmitted  by  the  water  and 
loosen  other  tubes.  Having  water  in  the  boiler  when 
beading  the  tubes  has  the  advantage  of  showing  the  leaks 
so  that  it  may  be  known  when  the  tube  is  tight.  If  the 
leaks  be  more  serious,  it  will  be  necessary  to  use  an  ex- 
pander. The  expander  requires  considerable  care  and 
some  experience  to  use,  and  in  the  hands  of  an  inexper- 
ienced or  careless  workman,  may  cause  great  damage 
by  distorting  the  flue  sheet,  or  rolling  the  tubes  thin  and 
worthless.  In  using  the  roller  expander,  place  the  flange 
against  the  tube  sheet  and  drive  the  pin  in  with  a  few  light 
blows.  Then  turn  it  back  and  forth  with  a  wrench  until 
it  loosens.  Drive  the  pin  in  again,  and  repeat  the  opera- 
tion several  times.  The  roller  expander  may  be  used  when 
there  is  water  in  the  boiler.  If  a  spring  or  plug  expander 
be  used,  be  sure  that  it  is  the  right  size,  and  is  made  to  fit 
the  thickness  of  the  flue  sheet  in  your  boiler.  This  is  very 
important.  To  use  the  spring  expander,  place  it  within 
the  tube  with  the  shoulder  well  up  against  the  tube  sheet. 
Drive  in  the  taper  pin  with  a  few  light  blows  and  then 
jar  it  out  by  striking  it  on  the  side.  Repeat  several  times, 
turning  the  expander  a  little  each  time,  until  it  has  made  a 
complete  revolution.  The  spring  expander  cannot  be  used 


THE  BOILER  117 

when  there  is  water  in  the  boiler,  as  the  jar  of  the  hammer- 
blows  will  be  transmitted  to  the  other  tubes  and  loosen 
them.  Use  plenty  of  oil  on  either  style  of  expander,  and 
carefully  clean  the  end  of  the  tube  of  soot  and  scale  before 
inserting  the  tool.  Care  must  be  taken,  in  expanding 
the  tubes,  not  to  expand  them  so  hard  as  to  stretch  or  en- 
large the  hole  in  the  tube  sheet,  and  thereby  loosen  the 
adjoining  tubes.  When  all  of  the  leaky  tubes  ha've  been 
expanded,  they  must  be  beaded  down  against  the  sheet 
with  the  beading  tool. 

Danger  of  Using  an  Old  Boiler.  There  is  danger  of  a 
boiler  exploding  with  plenty  of  water  in  it,  if  any  part 
has  corroded  or  been  weakened  so  that  a  considerable  por- 
tion of  it  is  liable  to  give  way  at  any  time.  The  water 
in  a  steam  boiler  under  pressure,  is  explosive,  and  any- 
thing that  reduces  the  pressure  suddenly,  will  precipitate 
an  explosion.  Return  flue  boilers  are  especially  dangerous 
when  old,  on  account  of  the  weakness  of  the  large  flue. 

How  to  Test  a  Boiler.  To  test  an  old  boiler,  so  that 
one  is  sure  of  its  exact  condition,  is  not  an  easy  matter. 
One  method  is  by  tapping  with  a  small  hammer,  but  when 
coated  with  scale,  this  is  not  easy,  even  for  an  expert. 
We  advise  making  the  "cold  water  test"  as  follows :  Fill 
the  boiler  nearly  full  of  water  and  build  a  little  fire  to  heat 
the  water  luke-warm.  When  this  is  done,  withdraw  the 
fire,  fill  the  boiler  to  the  top  of  the  dome  and  attach  a 
small  hand  pump.  The  steam  gage  will  register  the 


Il8  SCIENCE   OF    SUCCESSFUL    THRESHING 

pressure,  which  may  be  anything  desired.  The  chill  is 
taken  off  the  water  as  the  boiler  is  less  liable  to  be  strained 
when  the  iron  is  a  little  warm.  The  best  way  to  test  it 
is  to  go  over  the  boiler  with  a  straight-edge,  carefully 
noting  how  much  the  sheets  are  out  of  shape.  This  should 
be  done  first  with  no  pressure,  then  repeating,  increasing 
the  pressure  with  the  pump  about  twenty-five  pounds  at 
a  time.  '  On  a  locomotive  boiler,  the  straight-edge  should 
be  placed  between  the  stay  bolts.  The  parts  exposed  to 
the  greatest  heat  should  be  examined  particularly,  as 
should  also  the  bottom  of  the  shell  and  along  the  riveted 
seams,  where  it  is  liable  to  be  corroded.  If  there  be 
any  doubt  about  any  part,  or  if  the  straight-edge  shows 
that  the  sheets  spring  or  bulge  with  the  pressure,  the 
only  way  to  be  sure  is  to  drill  a  small  hole  and  determine 
the  thickness.  If  found  to  be  safe,  the  hole  may  be  made 
tight  by  tapping  and  screwing  in  a  copper  plug. 

Another  Method  of  Testing  Boiler.  A  boiler  may 
be  tested  without  using  a  pump.  In  this  case  the  boiler  is 
filled  with  water  to  the  very  top  of  the  dome  before  the 
fire  is  built,  and  the  expansion  of  the  water,  as  it  increases 
in  temperature,  gives  the  desired  pressure  for  testing. 
The  boiler  may  be  filled  by  removing  the  whistle  or  the 
pop-valve  and  pouring  the  water  through  its  pipe.  The 
throttle  and  all  of  the  openings  from  the  boiler  must  be 
closed  before  the  fire  is  built.  Straw  should  be  used  as 
fuel,  as  a  fire  of  it  may  be  quickly  checked.  When  other 


THE   BOILER 

fuel,  such  as  pine  kindling  wood  is  used,  very  little  should 
be  allowed  in  the  fire-box,  and  the  fire  carefully  watched. 
Enough  dirt,  sand  or  ashes  should  be  at  hand  to  check 
the  fire  at  any  instant.  The  pressure  must  be  closely 
watched,  and  if  it  shows  a  tendency  to  rise  too  rapidly, 
or  go  too  high,  the  fire  must  be  covered.  The  pop-valve 
will  open  at  the  point  at  which  it  is  set,  in  the  same  way  as 
for  steam  pressure. 

Amount  of  Pressure.  It  is  not  advisable  to  test  an 
old  boiler  which  was  designed  to  carry  one  hundred  and 
thirty  pounds  or  less  at  a  greater  pressure  than  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  pounds,  as  higher  pressures  are  apt  to 
strain  and  weaken  the  boiler.  When  a  boiler  has  been 
tested  at  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  cold  water  pressure, 
it  may  be  used  at  a  working  pressure  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  pounds.  It  has  been  common  to  make  the 
pressure  for  the  hydraulic  test  greater  than  the  desired 
working  pressure  by  fifty  per  cent.,  but  many  engineers 
now  believe  that  this  strains  a  boiler  unnecessarily  and 
consequently  such  high  test  pressures  are  not  recom- 
mended except  where  required  by  law. 

Sweating.  Inexperienced  operators  in  starting  a  fire 
in  a  new  boiler  are  sometimes  deceived  by  the  appearance 
of  moisture  on  the  tube-sheets  which  they  take  to  be  leak- 
age. However,  this  is  nothing  but  the  moisture  in  the 
gases  passing  through  the  tubes  collecting  on  the  cold 


120  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

surface  of  the  tube-sheets.     This  has  been   incorrectly 
called  "sweating,"  but  is  really  condensation. 

Temperature  of  Water  and  Steam  in  a  Boiler.  Al- 
though water  boils  in  an  open  vessel  at  212  degrees  Fah- 
renheit, if  it  be  confined,  a  pressure  will  be  developed, 
which  will  prevent  it  from  boilmg  until  a  higher  tempera- 
ture is  reached.  A  certain  relation  exists  between  the 
pressure  and  temperature  of  the  steam  in  a  boiler  and  for 
any  given  pressure  there  is  a  corresponding  temperature. 
This  holds  true  only  for  what  is  called  "saturated  steam," 
that  is,  steam  that  is  not  heated  after  it  is  taken  away  from 
the  water  where  it  was  generated.  Water  in  a  boiler  and 
under  the  same  pressure  as  the  steam  has  practically  the 
same  temperature  as  the  steam. 

TEMPERATURES     CORRESPONDING    TO    STEAM     PRESSURES. 

0  lbs.=  212.0  degrees  F. 

25  lbs.  =  266.6  degrees  F. 

50  lbs.  =  297.5  degrees  F. 

75  lbs.  =  319.8  degrees  F. 
100  lbs.  =  337.6  degrees  F. 
125  lbs.  =  352.6  degrees  F. 
150  lbs.  =  365.6  degrees  F. 
175  lbs.  =  377.2  degrees  F. 
200  lbs.  =  387.6  degrees  F. 


CHAPTER   IX 
THE  TRACTION  GEARING 

WHEN  the  traction  gearing  is  used  only  in  mov- 
ing the  engine  from  place  to  place,  very  little 
attention  need  be  given  to  it.  When,  however, 
the  engine  is  used  for  plowing  or  for  hauling  freight,  the 
gearing  must  receive  careful  attention  in  order  to  prevent 
the  possibility  of  expensive  repairs.  The  parts  which 
require  special  attention  on  engines  used  for  hauling  heavy 
loads  are  the  lower  cannon  bearing  and  the  bearing  for 
the  intermediate  gear.  The  pinions  on  the  counter-shaft 
should  mesh  properly  with  the  gears  on  the  traction 
wheels.  These  may  be  set  deeper  into  mesh  on  "Case" 
engines  by  adjusting  the  turn-buckles  in  the  links,  called 
"distance  links,"  which  connect  the  upper  and  lower  can- 
non bearings.  The  springs  which  carry  the  weight  of  the 
boiler  should  not  have  too  much  leeway  if  the  engine  be 
used  for  heavy  hauling. 

Oiling  the  Cannon  Bearings.  A  quantity  of  oil  may 
be  poured  into  the  upper  and  lower  cannon  bearings,  which 
will  insure  the  lubrication  of  the  axle  and  counter-shaft, 
since  it  can  only  work  out  at  the  ends.  The  oil  boxes 
should  be  partly  filled  with  wool  or  waste,  and  all  other 

121 


122 


SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 


openings  stopped  by  carefully  fitted  pieces  of  wood,  in 
order  to  prevent  sand  and  other  gritty  substances  from  en- 
tering the  cannon  bearings. 

Lubricating  the  Gearing.     The  gearing  of  a  traction- 
engine  should  be  kept  well  lubricated.     It  is  true  that 


FIG.    37.      CUT    SHOWING   CANNON   BEARINGS    AND   GEARING. 

many  men  argue  that  grease  collects  and  holds  sand  which 
will  cause  cutting  of  gears.     To  prove  the  fallacy  of  this 


THE  TRACTION  GEARING 


123 


belief,  however,  it  is  only  necessary  to  observe  the  gearing 
on  engines  which  have  been  run  by  men  of  this  opinion. 
In  many  cases,  the  gearing  will  be  found  more  badly  worn 
than  its  use  would  warrant.  Engines  for  use  in  plowing 
or  road  work  are  sometimes  provided  with  means  for  keep- 
ing a  continuous  flow  of  oil  to  the  gears  all  the  time  the  en- 
gine is  moving.  This  is  an  excellent  way  to  lubricate 
them  and  it  greatly  prolongs  their  wear. 

The  Friction  Clutch.  The  friction  clutch  is  used  to 
connect  the  engine  to  the  traction  gearing  and  wheels. 
By  means  of  it,  the  engine  may  be  made  to  travel  as  slowly 
as  desired,  while  the  engine  proper  is  running  at  full 
speed.  A  general  view 
of  the  Case  clutch  is 
shown  in  Fig.  38,  with 
the  names  of  the  various 
parts  thereon.  An  en- 
larged view  of  the  hub 
portion  is  shown  in  Fig. 
39.  When  the  clutch 
is  in  partial  engage- 
ment, the  shoes  (Fig. 
38)  press  lightly  against 
the  rim  of  the  fly-wheel, 
transmitting  only  part 
of  its  motion  to  the 
gearing.  But  when  in 


FIG.   38.      FRICTION   CLUTCH. 


124 


SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 


full  engagement,  the  shoes  press  so  hard  against  the  rim 
of  the  fly-wheel  that  they  prevent  slipping,  thus  locking 
the  fly-wheel  and  pinion  together.  The  two  shoes  are 
hinged  to  the  ends  of  the  arm.  This  arm  has  a  long  sleeve, 
which  is  loose  upon  the  shaft,  but  at  the  end  of  which  the 
pinion  is  firmly  keyed.  The  sliding  ring  (Fig.  39),  is 
loose  upon  the  sleeve,  and  when  moved  toward  the  fly- 
wheel, straightens  the  toggle  levers,  thus  pressing  the  shoes 

against  the  rim  of 

ou.HotEs.r-— N|    i          the  fly-wheel.  The 
*-  sliding  r  i  n  g  is 

moved  by  means 
of  the  trunnion 
ring  which  r  e  - 
mains  stationary, 
but  allows  the  slid- 
ing ring  to  revolve 
within  it.  The 
trunnion  ring  is 
held  to  the  sliding 
ring  by  means  of 
the  clamp  ring. 
Adjusting  the  Clutch.  The  wear  on  the  shoes  is 
taken  up  by  means  of  the  turn-buckles  in  the  toggle  levers. 
They  should  be  so  adjusted  that  the  toggle  levers  will  just 
pass  the  straight  line  when  the  clutch  is  in  engagement, 
thus  relieving  the  trunnion  ring  of  all  side  friction ;  they 
should  also  be  so  adjusted  as  to  produce  equal  tension  on 


SLIDING  RING 
TRUNION  RING 

CLAMP  RING 

FIG.   3Q.      SECTION   OF   HUB 
PORTION    OF   CLUTCH. 


THE  TRACTION  GEARING  125 

both  shoes,  or  undue  friction  will  be  produced  on  the  slid- 
ing ring  making  the  lever  hard  to  handle.  A  good  way  to 
adjust  the  turn-buddes  is  to  apply  a  large  wrench  to  them, 
when  the  clutch  is  in  engagement,  and  lengthen  the  toggle 
levers  until  the  shoes  are  pressed  hard  against  the  rim.  In 
this  manner,  the  shoes  can  be  given  equal  and  sufficient 
pressure  and  when  the  clutch  is  drawn  out  of  engagement, 
the  shoes  will  clear  the  rim.  Of  course,  the  jam-nuts 
must  be  loosened  before  adjusting,  and  tightened  after- 
wards. The  inside  end  of  the  fly-wheel  hub  should  touch 
the  hub  of  the  clutch  arm,  or  the  sliding  ring  cannot  carry 
the  toggle  levers  beyond  the  straight  line.  This  happens 
when  the  fly-wheel  has  become  loosened  and  worked  to- 
wards the  end  of  the  shaft.  The  wooden  shoes  are  easily 
replaced  when  worn  out.  Examine  the  clutch  and  see 
that  it  is  properly  adjusted  before  starting  up  or  down  a 
very  steep  hill.  If  it  be  in  good  order,  it  will  not  fail  to 
do  its  work. 

Oiling  the  Clutch.  When  the  engine  is  traveling,  the 
entire  clutch  moves  together,  with  the  exception  of  the 
trunnion-ring.  This,  then,  should  be  oiled  when  the  en- 
gine is  on  the  road.  When  threshing,  the  clutch  remains 
stationary,  while  the  shaft  revolves  within  it.  The  long 
sleeve  should  then  be  oiled  and  also  the  end  of  the  fly- 
wheel hub  where  it  comes  in  contact  with  the  end  of  the 
sleeve.  There  are  eight  or  nine  oil-holes  in  the  sleeve, 
three  of  which  are  drilled  between  the  teeth  of  the  pinion. 
There  is  also  an  oil-hole  in  the  upper  trunnion  of  the  trun- 


126  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

nion-ring.  The  clutch  sleeve  is  most  liable  to  wear  in 
plowing  or  hauling  where  the  clutch  is  frequently  used. 
In  this  class  of  work,  the  sleeve  of  the  clutch-arm  must 
be  kept  well  lubricated. 

The  Differential  Gear.  In  order  to  have  both  traction 
wheels  pull,  when  the  engine  is  traveling  either  forward  or 
backward,  and  at  the  same  time  allow  one  wheel  to  travel 
further  than  the  other  in  turning  corners,  the  differential 
gear  is  necessary.  It  transmits  the  power  from  the  inter- 
mediate gear  to  the  two  counter-shaft  pinions,  which  mesh 
with  the  spur  gears  on  the  traction  wheels.  The  four 
bevel  pinions  are  carried  by  the  center  casting,  and  mesh 
with  two  bevel  gears,  one  of  which  is  cast  in  one  piece  with 
the  right-hand  counter-shaft  pinion  (which  is  loose  upon 
the  shaft),  and  the  other  of  which  is  keyed  to  the  counter- 
shaft and  drives  the  left-hand  counter-shaft  pinion  (which 
is  also  keyed  to  the  shaft).  It  will  be  seen  that  when  the 
engine  travels  straight  ahead,  both  counter-shaft  pinions 
turn  with  the  shaft  and  the  whole  differential  revolves  as 
one  piece.  In  turning  corners,  however,  the  bevel  pinions 
revolve,  permitting  one  of  the  counter-shaft  pinions  to  re- 
volve faster  than  the  other,  thus  allowing  the  traction 
wheels  to  accommodate  themselves  to  the  curve  of  the  road. 
The  differential  spur  wheel  is  a  separate  piece  from  the 
center  casting,  the  power  being  transmitted  from  the  rim 
to  the  center  casting  through  coil  springs,  which  relieve 
the  gearing  of  the  shocks  of  starting  and  stopping  the  en- 
gine. 


THE   TRACTION    GEARING 


127 


Locking  the  Differential.  When  both  traction  wheels 
have  resistance,  they  pull  equally,  but  if  the  engine  be 
"jacked  up"  until  one  of  them  is  off  the  ground  and  free  to 
turn,  then  when  the  engine  is  started,  the  differential  gear 
will  allow  the  free  traction  wheel  to  revolve  at  twice  its 


'•OIL  GROOVE 
COUNTERSHAFT  !  ; 


FIG.   40.      THE  DIFFERENTIAL  GEAR,    SHOWING   SPRINGS. 

usual  speed,  while  the  traction  wheel  on  the  ground  will 
scarcely  pull  at  all.  Revolving  at  twice  its  usual  speed 
means  that  the  free  traction  wheel  makes,  for  example, 
one  revolution  to  nine  of  the  fly-wheel,  instead  of,  to  the 
usual  eighteen.  Often,  when  one  wheel  is  in  a  slippery 
place,  it  will  spin  around,  while  the  other  on  solid  ground 
remains  still  without  pulling  at  all.  To  provide  for  such 


128  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL,  THRESHING 

emergencies,  the  hub  of  the  left  traction  wheel  is  made  so 
that  a  pin  can  be  inserted  and  both  wheels  locked  to  the 
axle.  This,  of  course,  makes  both  traction  wheels  revolve 
together,  and  prevents  the  differential  gear  from  working. 
The  engine  must  be  steered  straight  when  the  lock-pin  is 
used,  or  broken  gearing  is  liable  to  result. 

Oiling  the  Differential.  There  are  several  moving 
parts  within  the  differential  gear  which  should  be  oiled 
occasionally.  The  bevel-pinions  revolve  about  their 
shafts.  An  oil-hole  is  drilled  through  the  center  of  each 
of  these  shafts  to  provide  for  oiling  them,  as  shown  in  Fig. 
40.  The  center  wheel  turns  on  the  hub  of  the  left-hand 
or  inside  bevel-gear,  when  the  differential-gear  works,  and 
accordingly  it  should  be  oiled  occasionally  through  the  hole 
provided  for  this  purpose  in  the  bevel-gear  hub,  as  shown 
in  Fig.  40,  which  applies  to  all  except  the  no  horse-power 
engine.  The  oil  passes  into  a  chamber,  then  along  the 
groove  and  out  through  the  radial  holes  to  the  journal. 
The  oil  also  works  farther  along  the  groove  and  oils  right- 
hand  countershaft  pinion  where  it  turns  on  the  shaft.  On 
the  no  horse-power  engine,  there  is  no  oil  groove  in  the 
shaft.  The  oil  holes  in  the  hub  of  the  inside  bevel  gear 
carry  the  oil  direct  to  the  bearing  of  the  center  wheel,  and 
the  right-hand  countershaft  pinion  is  provided  with  holes 
in  its  hub  for  oiling  the  shaft.  The  hub  of  the  left-hand 
traction  wheel  turns  upon  the  axle  in  turning  corners,  and 
therefore  should  be  oiled  occasionally.  This  is  done  by 
removing  the  cap-screws  in  the  hub  of  the  traction  wheel. 


CHAPTER  X 

WATER-TANKS 

THE  threshing  outfit,  to  be  complete,  must  be  pro- 
vided with  first-class  water-tanks.  A  leaky  tank 
is  very  apt  to  cause  delay.  One  that  is  liable  to 
break  down  may  entirely  cut  off  the  water  supply  for  a 
time.  The  axles  are  wet  much  of  the  time  and  therefore, 
rot  very  fast  and  are  apt  to  break  without  warning.  Wait- 
ing for  water  for  any  cause  should  not  be  tolerated  by  the 
man  in  charge  of  a  threshing  outfit,  and  one  whose  duty 
it  is  to  haul  water  should  never  allow  the  rig  to  be  idle  for 
lack  of  it.  In  localities  where  the  farms  are  small  and 
water  may  be  had  near  at  hand,  one  mounted  tank  does 
very  well,  as  the  platform  tank  (with  which  an  engine  is 
usually  equipped),  will  furnish  the  water  while  the  mount- 
ed tank  is  being  refilled.  In  localities  where  the  water 
must  sometimes  be  hauled  a  mile  or  more,  two  mounted 
tanks  are  generally  used,  or  if  only  one  be  used,  three  or 
four  barrels  should  be  provided  to  use  in  addition  to  the 
platform  tank. 

Engine  Tenders.     Engine  tenders  are  convenient,  es- 
pecially where  most  of  the  threshing  is  done  around  barns 
and  it  is  necessary  to  back  the  engine  more  or  less.     The 
9  129 


I3O  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

engine  tender  does  what  its  name  implies,  that  is,  it  keeps 
a  good  supply  of  coal  and  water  near  at  hand. 

The  Contractor's  Fuel-Bunkers  and  Tanks  are  built  for 
the  purpose  of  serving  as  a  tender,  but  they  are  mounted 
and  carried  on  the  engine  itself  instead  of  on  separate 
trucks.  They  are  attached  to  the  axle  cannon-bearing  in 
the  rear  of  the  engine,  in  the  same  way  as  the  common 
platform  and  tank,  which  they  displace.  This  way  of  car- 
rying the  fuel  and  water  supply  is  more  convenient  than 
with  a  separate  tender;  besides,  the  weight  being  sup- 
ported on  the  rear  axle,  the  engine  has  more  tractive  power 
for  plowing  or  hauling.  The  contractor's  fuel  bunkers  are 
detachable  from  the  tank  and  can  be  removed  when  firing 
with  straw.  The  contractor's  fuel  bunkers  and  tank  may 
be  attached,  in  the  field,  to  any  Case  side-crank  engine  from 
30  to  75  H.  P.  inclusive.  They  are  always  furnished  on 
the  noH.  P.  size. 

Tank  Pumps.  At  least  one  tank  with  each  outfit 
should  have  a  tank  pump,  with  a  capacity  of  about  two  bar- 
rels a  minute.  The  pump  is  of  use  not  only  in  filling  the 
tank,  but  also  in  rapidly  transferring  water  from  it  to  the 
platform  tank,  engine  tender,  or  barrels.  When  equipped 
with  a  sprinkling  hose,  it  is  also  useful  in  washing  out  the 
boiler. 


CHAPTER  XI 

HORSE-POWERS 

THE  horse-power,  which,  at  one  time,  was  the  prin- 
cipal means  of  driving  threshing-machines,  is  still 
used  to  a  considerable  extent  for  this  purpose. 
With  a  sufficient  number  of  good,  strong  horses,  this  means 
of  supplying  the  motive  power  for  threshing  is  very  satis- 
factory, and,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  investment  involved 
in  a  horse-power  outfit  is  considerably  less  than  is  required 
for  a  steam  rig,  it  is  probable  that  the  horse-power  will 
continue  its  usefulness  in  this  industry  for  many  years  to 
come.  The  present  style  of  metal-frame  power  is  superior 
to  the  wood-frame  because  it  is  not  subject  to  atmospheric 
conditions,  which  continually  cause  the  swelling  and  shrink- 
ing of  wood,  disturbing  the  gearing. 

Starting  a  New  Horse-Power.  The  first  thing  to  do 
in  preparing  a  new  power  for  work  is  to  carefully  clean 
the  cinders  from  the  oil-boxes.  Next,  oil  each  of  the  bear- 
ings and  thoroughly  grease  all  the  gearing,  turning  the 
power  by  hand  until  the  entire  wearing  surface  is  well  lub- 
ricated. A  new  power  should  be  run  at  least  half  an  hour 
before  being  coupled  to  the  separator  or  other  machine  to 
be  run.  If  the  horses  be  nervous,  because  unused  to  the 

131 


132  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

work,  put  a  man  with  each  team  until  they  are  accustomed 
to  the  noise  and  to  traveling  in  a  circle. 

Setting  a  Horse-Power.  A  horse-power,  to  work 
properly,  must  be  securely  held  in  position.  To  do  this, 
it  is  necessary  to  use  at  least  four  stakes,  each  of  which 
should  be  about  three  feet  long.  The  power  should  be  set 
in  alignment  with  the  separator  so  that  the  tumbling-rods 
are  as  straight  as  possible.  As  it  is  almost  impossible  to 
secure  the  power  so  that  it  will  not  shift  slightly  when 
started,  it  is  best  to  make  allowance  for  this  when  setting. 
The  line  of  rods  cannot  be  straight  horizontally,  as  one  end 
must  attach  to  the  spur-pinion  shaft  of  the  power  and  the 
other  to  the  bevel-gear  shaft  of  the  separator,  while  the 
second  rod  from  the  power  must  lie  near  the  ground  in  or- 
der to  allow  the  horses  to  walk  over  it.  The  angles  in  the 
line  of  rods  necessary  to  meet  these  conditions  are  taken 
care  of  by  the  knuckles  connecting  them,  but  the  angles 
should  be  carefully  divided  so  that  they  are  as  slight  as 
possible  at  each  knuckle.  When  run  at  great  angles, 
knuckles  consume  considerable  power  and  cause  excessive 
and  unnecessary  work  on  the  part  of  the  horses. 

Lubrication  of  the  Horse-Power.  There  are  two  bull- 
pinion  boxes  (an  upper  and  lower),  and  two  center-boxes 
at  each  end,  making  eight  boxes  in  all,  to  be  oiled  on  the 
bull-pinion  shafts.  There  are  also  two  spur-pinion  shaft 
boxes  and  the  journals  of  the  traverse-rollers  to  be  oiled. 
All  the  gearing  and  the  bottom  and  the  top  of  the  bull- 


HORSE-POWERS 


133 


wheel  rim  should  be  coated  with  good  axle  grease.  When 
the  grease  becomes  hard  and  caked  with  dirt,  it  should  be 
cleaned  off  and  fresh  grease  applied. 

Connecting  the  Equalisers.     The  following  cut  shows 
a  top  view  of  a  fourteen-horse  power  with  "sweeps,"  braces 


FIG.   41.      TOP  VIEW   OF   POWER   WITH    SWEEPS    ATTACHED. 

and  equalizer-rods  attached.     In  hooking  the  equalizer- 
rods,  always  hook  the  ends  of  two  rods  in  the  end  ring  of 


134 


SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 


the  chains.  The  ring  near  the  center  of  each  chain  is 
merely  a  stop  and  the  rods  should  never  be  hooked  into  it. 
Speed  of  tlie  Tumbling-Rods.  The  use  of  the  sixteen- 
cog  pinion,  which  gives  one  hundred  and  one  revolutions 
of  the  tumbling- rods  to  one  round  of  the  horses,  is  recom- 
mended, and  will  ordinarily  run  the  cylinder  of  a  "Case" 
separator  at  the  proper  speed.  The  following  table  gives 
a  complete  list  of  spur-pinions  for  "Case"  horse-powers, 
any  of  which  may  be  obtained  if  desired. 


d 

5*3 

ijje 

g-S.s 

5  n  e 

S  o 

V 

S« 

3  E 

3EE 

••a 

V 

(-1 

B'g 

|ss 

6r«     V 
a 

U   0* 

J3 
U 

>~ 

3  ° 

3  S! 

•^  z  * 

*•  3 

c 

O 

C 

IM    0"0 

W-.    M 

0-" 

e 

u 

O 

3 

O  A  g 

u 

a 

.5« 

Cl  "•    U 

"S^s  S 

^C  0 

6 

u 

o 

s 

£•0.3 

&•§« 

o"0^? 

£•  H 

* 

2 

Kg» 

tf)£?4 

to  'a 

4J^W 

Hi 

15 

107 

267 

241 

Wood 

4    W 

Hi 

16 

101 

252 

227 

Wood 

4}^W 

Hi 

17 

95 

237 

214 

Wood 

9    W 

Hi 

18 

90 

225 

202 

Wood 

7    W 

Hi 

20 

81 

202 

182 

Wood 

4%W 

Hi 

21 

76 

190 

171 

Wood 

8    W 

Hi 

22 

73 

182 

164 

Wood 

212W 

1/2 

15 

107 

267 

241 

Iron 

A212W 

16 

101 

252 

227 

Iron 

213W 

1/2 

17 

95 

237 

214 

Iron 

A9W 

1/2 

18 

90 

225 

202 

Iron 

A7W 

1/2 

20 

81 

202 

182 

Iron 

A8VV 

1/2 

22 

73 

182 

164 

Iron 

Separator  Side-Gear.  A  separator  must  be  fitted  with 
a  side-gear,  or  a  jack  must  be  used,  in  order  to  be  driven 
by  means  of  a  horse-power.  A  speed  of  750  revolutions 


HORSE-POWERS  135 

for  the  twenty-bar  or  1075  for  the  twelve-bar  cylinder  of 
"Case"  separators  fitted  with  a  side-gear,  requires  a  tumb- 
ling-rod speed  of  about  227  revolutions  per  minute.  The 
required  speed  of  the  tumbling-rods  is  found,  in  each  case, 
by  multiplying  the  number  of  revolutions  of  the  cylinder 
by  the  number  of  teeth  on  the  cylinder-pinion  and  dividing 
the  product  by  the  number  of  teeth  on  the  bevel-gear.  For 
cylinder  speed  of  300  with  the  2O-bar  separator  for  Beans, 
use  Bevel  Gear  5O7iT  (47  teeth)  and  Pinion  A5O72T  (25 
teeth)  and  Spur  Pinion  A8W  on  horse-power. 

Jacks  for  Horse-Powers.  Ordinarily,  a  separator  in- 
tended to  be  driven  by  a  horse-power  is  fitted  with  a  side- 
gear.  However,  sometimes  a  belt  machine  is  driven  by 
a  horse-power,  and  for  this  purpose  a  device  is  used  to 
change  the  motion  of  the  tumbling-rods  into  that  of  a  pul- 
ley from  which  the  separator  cylinder  may  be  driven  by 
means  of  a  belt.  This  device  is  called  a  "jack."  When  a 
"jack"  is  used  to  drive  a  belt  machine,  40  feet  of  drive 
belt  will  be  needed  for  12  bar  and  60  feet  for  a  20  bar 
machine,  to  insure  clearing  "ironsides."  The  "Case"  jack 
has  a  bevel-gear  (2o8T)  with  sixty  teeth  and  a  pinion 
(200/T)  with  twenty-two 'teeth.  The  pulley  (2o6T)  is 
sixteen  inches  in  diameter  and  has  a  six-inch  face. 

Adjusting  the  Iron-Frame  Horse-Power.  It  is  very 
important  that  the  bull-pinions  should  mesh  properly  with 
the  bull- wheel.  When  the  bull-pinion  shafts  are  correctly 
set,  the  bull-wheel  will  not  have  more  than  one-sixteenth 


136  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

of  an  inch  up  and  down  play  at  any  point.  As  the  web 
between  the  upper  and  lower  cogs  of  the  bull-wheel  varies 
in  thickness,  it  is  best  to  locate  the  thickest  place  and  mark 
it.  This  part  may  be  then  turned  between  the  bull-pinions 
and  the  shaft  bearings  adjusted  so  that  the  gears  mesh  as 
deeply  as  possible  and  at  the  same  time  allow  the  bull- 
wheel  to  pass  freely  between  them.  In  building  powers  at 
the  factory  leather  packing  is  placed  between  the  box  of  the 
upper  short  bull-pinion  shaft  and  the  main  frame.  It  is 
the  intention  to  shave  down  this  leather  packing  from  time 
to  time  as  the  bearings  wear,  thus  allowing  the  bull-pinions 
to  be  kept  in  proper  mesh  by  means  of  set  screws.  The 
box  of  the  lower  short  bull-pinion  shaft  has  no  leather  be- 
tween it  and  the  main  frame ;  however,  it  can  be  set  deeper 
in  gear  at  any  time  by  turning  its  set-screw  from  below. 
The  main  spur-wheel  shaft  is  not  adjustable  and  the  set 
screws  bearing  against  its  boxes  are  used  only  to  prevent 
them  from  becoming  loose  in  their  slots.  Adjustable 
slides  are  placed  above  and  below  the  bull-wheel.  Those 
below  have  set-screw  adjustment,  and  should  be  adjusted, 
as  they  wear,  so  that  the  bull-wheel  just  clears  the  lower 
bull-pinions.  The  top  slides  prevent  the  up  and  down 
movement  of  the  bull-wheel,  and  should  be  set  down  as 
they  wear.  The  traverse-rollers  prevent  the  bull-wheel 
from  crowding  endwise  on  the  bull-pinions.  They  should 
be  set  out  by  the  key  adjustment  as  they  wear.  The  spur- 
pinion  frame  is  secured  by  four  five-eighths  inch  bolts  in 


HORSE-POWERS  137 

slotted  holes.  These  allow  adjustment  of  the  pinion  so 
that  it  may  be  made  to  mesh  properly  with  the  spur-wheel. 
These  gears,  when  properly  adjusted,  should  not  have  more 
than  one-sixteenth  of  an  inch  clearance  under  the  points 
of  the  teeth,  and  pinion  shaft  should  be  parallel  with  the 
spur-wheel  shaft. 

Caution  Concerning  the  Bull-Pinion  Boxes.  The  bull- 
pinion  boxes,  45 W  and  45^W  or  8i%W  and  8i>^W, 
have  flanges  which  hook  over  the  outside  of  the  main 
frame,  thus  preventing  them  from  crowding  toward  the 
center.  When  these  boxes  have  been  removed,  care  must 
be  taken  in  replacing  them  to  insure  these  flanges  hooking 
over  the  outside  of  the  frame,  for  if  they  be  placed  too  far 
toward  the  center  of  the  power,  these  flanges  may  come  in 
contact  with  the  box  seat  and  prevent  the  bull-pinions  from 
meshing  as  deeply  as  they  should  with  the  bull-wheel.  To 
prevent  their  getting  loose,  the  large  set-screws  are  locked 
by  means  of  small  set-screws,  "'hich  bear  against  their 
threads. 

Removing  the  Shafts.  To  take  out  the  spur-wheel 
shaft,  remove  the  four  bolts  that  secure  the  cross-pieces  to 
the  main  frame,  and  drop  them,  together  with  the  spur- 
pinion  frame,  to  the  ground.  Next  remove  the  four  bolts 
securing  the  bull-pinion  boxes  and  those  securing  the  center 
boxes,  after  which  the  spur-wheel  shaft  may  be  taken  out 
without  disturbing  the  gears  keyed  to  it.  The  short  bull- 
pinion  shafts  have  trunnion-boxes  at  their  inner  ends, 


138  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

which  permit  movement  sufficient  to  allow  the  shaics  to 
be  removed.  It  is  necessary  to  remove  the  wood  piece 
with  slide  attached,  which  is  on  the  rear  axle. 

Reversing  the  Gearing.  The  bull-wheel  may  be 
turned  over,  the  short  shafts  interchanged  and  the  spur- 
wheel  shaft  reversed  (end  for  end),  so  that  the  teeth  of  all 
the  gearing  may  be  worn  on  both  their  faces. 

Reverse  Motion  of  Tumbling-Rods.  The  direction  in 
which  the  tumbling-rods  revolve  may  be  reversed  so  that 
they  turn  in  the  same  direction  as  that  in  which  the  horses 
walk,  instead  of  turning,  as  usual,  in  the  opposite  direction. 
When  reverse  motion  is  necessary  for  driving  machinery 
other  than  "Case"  separators,  the  following  extra  pieces 
will  be  needed :  one  steady-bearing,  IO4\V ;  one  short  tumb- 
ling-rod, oi25\V;  and  one  extra  knuckle.  To  attach  the 
parts,  proceed  as  follows:  First,  bore  a  one  and  one-half 
inch  hole  in  rear  axle,  two  and  three-eighths  inches  from  its 
top  and  five  and  one-half  inches  from  the  center  of  the  bolt 
holding  the  casting,  i84\V  or  222\V.  Then  bolt  steady- 
bearing,  IO4W,  on  the  inside  of  the  axle  with  seven-six- 
teenths by  four  and  three- fourths  inch  bolts.  Next  put 
the  knuckle  on  the  spur-pinion  shaft  and  connect  it  with  the 
short  rod,  oi25\V,  which  passes  through  the  casting, 
IO4W,  and  through  the  hole  in  the  axle. 

Attaching  Truck-Brake  to  Iron-Frame  Horse-Power. 
Put  the  brake  pipe  under  the  main  frame  with  casting 
2ioW,  face  down  and  on  the  right-hand  side.  The  pipe 


HORSE-POWERS  139 

is  located  between  the  two  five-eighths  inch  hooks  and  rear 
wheel,  the  short  ends  of  the  hooks  coming  outside  of  the 
iron  frame.  In  order  to  prevent  the  nuts  from  working 
loose,  the  ends  of  the  hooks  may  be  riveted.  When  this  is 
done,  casting  23  iW  may  be  bolted  on  top  of  the  flange 
of  the  main  frame.  A  hole  to  receive  it  will  be  found  on 
the  front  end  of  the  power  frame.  Next  insert  the  iron 
lever  into  its  socket,  2ioW,  and  tighten  the  set-screws, 
which  should  not  be  tightened  too  much,  or  they  will  cause 
unnecessary  strain  on  casting  2ioW.  Put  the  ratchet  in 
casting  232W  with  the  hole  down  and  with  the  notches 
turned  towards  the  front.  Then,  put  it  in  the  notch  that 
holds  the  brake  from  the  wheels,  and  bolt  it  to  the  brake 
lever  below.  Place  the  brake-block  casting,  2o8W,  on  the 
right  end  of  the  pipe  and  2ogW  on  the  left ;  bring  the  blocks 
against  the  wheels  and  turn  the  set-screws  up  tight;  then 
loosen  and  remove,  and  with  a  file  or  cold  chisel,  flatten 
a  place  on  the  pipe  for  the  set-screws.  This  will  prevent 
the  pipe  from  turning  in  these  castings.  The  pipe  is  coun- 
tersunk for  the  set-screws  in  2ioW,  these  set-screws  being 
tightened  at  the  factory.  The  key  with  straps  should  be 
nailed  to  the  driver's  platform.  This  is  used  to  prevent 
the  brake  from  dropping  onto  the  wheels  when  not  wanted. 
The  brake  is  applied  by  the  foot.  Do  not  press  the  ratchet 
down  harder  than  necessary. 

The  Spur-Wheel  and  Bull-Pinion  Sfafts.     The  key- 
seats  of  these  shafts  are  cut  in  line  with  each  other  and 


140  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

those  in  the  bull-pinions  and  inside-pinions  are  cut  with 
reference  to  one  of  their  teeth  so  that  when  the  pinions  are 
keyed  to  the  shaft,  their  teeth  will  be  in  line.  It  will  be 
seen  that  if  the  shaft  has  been  twisted  so  that  the  teeth  of 
the  pinions  are  even  slightly  out  of  line,  the  power  cannot 
be  made  to  run  properly.  A  new  spur-wheel  shaft  is  the 
only  remedy  for  such  a  condition. 

Work  Done  by  Horses.  The  sweeps  of  the  twelve- 
horse-power  and  smaller  sizes  are  twelve  feet  and  seven 
inches  long,  and  their  ends  move  in  a  circle  the  circumfer- 
ence of  which  is  seventy-nine  feet.  The  sweeps  of  the 
fourteen-horse  power  are  fourteen  feet  long,  and  their  ends 
move  in  a  circle,  the  circumference  of  which  is  eighty-nine 
feet.  Horses  ordinarily  travel  around  the  seventy-nine 
foot  circle  two  and  one-half  times  a  minute,  and  around  the 
eighty-nine  foot  circle  two  and  one-fourth  times  a  minute, 
in  either  case  covering  about  two  and  one-fourth  miles  per 
hour.  The  term  "horse-power"  (the  standard  measure  of 
power)  is  defined  as  the  power  necessary  to  raise  33,000 
pounds  one  foot  per  minute.  A  horse  walks  two  hundred 
feet  per  minute  in  traveling  around  the  eighty-nine  foot 
circle  two  and  one-quarter  times  per  minute  so  that  to  do 
work  equal  to  one  "horse-power"  it  is  necessary  for  it  to 
pull  only  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  pounds,  which  is  the 
quotient  of  33,000  divided  by  200.  This  quotient  does 
not  allow  for  the  friction  of  the  machine.  As  the  efficiency 


HORSE-POWERS  141 

of  the  horse-power  is  about  80  per  cent.,  each  horse  will 
pull  about  200  pounds  on  the  whiffletree. 

The  Number  of  Horses.  When  desired  for  light 
work,  the  regular  twelve-horse  power  with  six  sweeps  may 
be  used  with  only  six  horses  by  tying  up  equalizers  on  the 
empty  sweeps  and  attaching  teams  to  alternate  sweeps,  or 
by  hitching  a  single  horse  to  each  sweep.  In  the  same 
manner  any  of  the  other  sizes  of  horse-powers  may  be  used 
with  half  the  usual  number  of  horses.  Since  different 
numbers  of  sweeps  are  used  the  holes  in  the  bull-wheel  are 
marked  with  dots  so  that  the  brackets  and  end-supports  for 
the  sweeps  may  be  easily  placed  in  their  proper  positions. 
One  of  each  of  these  castings  should  be  first  bolted  to  the 
holes  with  three  dots  near  them  for  this  set  of  holes  is  used 
with  any  number  of  levers.  Bull-wheel  8gW  has  the  dots 
at  the  side  of  the  holes  for  twelve  horses,  inside  of  the  holes 
for  ten  horses,  and  outside  of  the  holes  for  eight  horses. 
Bull-wheel  loW  has  the  dots  at  the  sides  of  the  holes  for 
twelve  horses,  inside  of  the  holes  for  ten  horses  and  out- 
side of  the  holes  for  fourteen  horses. 


142 


SCIENCE   OF   SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 


PARTS    USED   ON    IRON    AND    WOOD   FRAME   POWERS. 


Sand  10 
Horse  Size 

12  and  14 
Horse  Size 

Iron  or 
Wood 
Frames 

NAME  OF  PART 

4/^W 

4^W 

Wood 

Spur-pinion. 

212    W 

212     W 

Iron 

Spur-pinion. 

0122    W 

0122    W 

Both 

Spur-pinion  shaft. 

89    W 

10    W 

Both 

Bull-wheel. 

2    W 

15    W 

Both 

Bull-pinion. 

90    W 

16    W 

Both 

Inside-pinion. 

0121    W 

0121    W 

Both 

Inside-pinion  shaft. 

3    W 

43    W 

Both 

Spur-wheel. 

0123    W 

0124    W 

Both 

Spur-wheel  shaft. 

81J4W 

45    W 

Both 

Half  bull-pinion  box. 

8ll/2W 

45^  W 

Both 

Other  half  bull-pinion  box. 

220    W 

182    W 

Iron 

Cast  frame  for  power. 

121    W 

183    W 

Iron 

Rear-axle  bracket,  R.  H. 

122    W 

185    W 

Iron 

Rear-axle  bracket,  L.  H. 

227    W 

187    W 

Iron 

Top  cap  for  bull-pinion  box. 

188    W 

188    W 

Iron 

Top  slide  holder. 

189    W 

189    W 

Iron 

Top  slide  for  bull-wheel. 

190    W 

190    W 

Iron 

Bottom  cap  for  bull-pinion  box. 

225    W 

191    W 

Iron 

Center-box  for  spur-wheel  shaft,  R. 

H. 

193    W 

193    W 

Iron 

Inside  trunnion  box  for  shaft. 

218    W 

218    W 

Iron 

Front  support   for  spur-gear  frame. 

219    W 

219    W 

Iron 

Rear  support  for  spur-gear  frame. 

197    W 

197    W 

Iron 

Support  for  short  shaft,  center-box,  L. 

H. 

199    W 

199    W 

Iron 

Support  for  short  shaft,  center-box,  R. 

H. 

229    W 

202    W 

Iron 

Support  for  bull-wheel  slide,  Rear. 

230    W 

203    W 

Iron 

Support  for  bull-wheel  slide,  Front. 

204    W 

204    W 

Iron 

Slide  under  bull-wheel. 

214    W 

214    W 

Iron 

Spur-gear  frame. 

215    W 

215    W 

Iron 

Cap  for  spur-gear  frame. 

216    W 

216    W 

Iron 

Brake-wheel. 

217    W 

217    W 

Iron 

Collar  on  spur-pinion  shaft. 

55    W 

12    W 

Wood 

Back  support. 

56    W 

13    W 

Wood 

Front  support. 

19    W 

19    W 

Wood 

Support  for  center-box. 

20    W 

40    W 

Wood 

Center-box  for  spur-wheel  shaft. 

48    W 

48    W 

Wood 

Cap  for  spur-gear  frame. 

49    W 

49    W 

Wood 

Back  stirrup  for  spur-gear  frame. 

50    W 

50    W 

Wood 

Front  stirrup  for  spur-gear  frame. 

52    W 

52    W 

Wood 

Spur-gear  frame. 

75    W 

75    W 

Wood 

Arch  frame. 

76}^W 

76j^W 

Wood 

Inside-box,  inside-pinion  shaft. 

78    W 

78    W 

Wood 

Cap  to  hold  bull-pinion  box. 

82    W 

82    W 

Wood 

Slide  under  bull-wheel. 

163     X 

163     X 

Wood 

Brake-wheel. 

PART  II.    SEPARATORS 


Page. 
Chapter  I     Starting  and  Setting-  a  Separator 147 

"  II     The  Cylinder,   Concaves  and  Beater 153 

"  III     The   Straw-Rack   and   Conveyor 167 

"  IV     The  Cleaning-  Apparatus 169 

M                 V  Threshing  with  a  Regularly  Equipped  Separator. 181 

"              VI  Threshing  with  a  Specially  Equipped  Separator.  .191 

"  VTI     The  Pulleys  and  Belting  of  a  Separator 207 

"  VIII     Lubrication  and  Care  of  the  Separator 219 

"  IX     Feeding  the  Separator 227 

X     The  Straw  Stackers    233 

"               XI  The  Grain  Handlers    .                                                 ,..241 


10 


CHAPTER   I 


SOME  separators  are  shipped  from  the  factory  "set- 
up" with  pulleys  and  all  parts  put  on  and  all  attach- 
ments in  place.  Others,  for  compactness,  are 
shipped  as  they  are  stored,  with  tailings-elevator  removed 
and  tied  on  the  deck,  pulleys  and  other  parts  packed  inside 
the  machine,  and  the  attachments  "knock-down" — that  is, 
taken  apart  and  small  parts  boxed.  For  ocean  shipment, 
separators  are  taken  apart  so  that  all  parts  may  be  boxed. 

Setting  Up.  In  setting  up  a  dismantled  separator,  care 
should  be  taken  to  see  that  all  nuts  and  keys  are  properly 
tightened.  The  pulleys  must  be  set  in  line  to  insure  the 
belts  running  properly.  The  cuts  showing  belting  ar- 
rangement will  aid  in  placing  the  pulleys  in  their  proper 
position.  If  the  box  of  parts  contains  a  list  of  its  contents, 
the  names  and  numbers  will  also  help  in  determining  the 
position  of  each.  The  crank-shaft  which  drives  the  straw- 
rack  and  conveyor  should  be  put  in  with  the  long  end  to 
the  right  (when  looking  at  the  machine  from  the  front). 

Starting  a  New  Separator.  A  new  machine  should  be 
set  up  and  run  an  hour  or  so,  before  attempting  to  thresh 
any  grain.  Before  putting  on  the  belts,  look  into  the  ma- 


148  SCIENCE  OP  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

chine  on  the  straw-rack,  conveyor  and  fan,  then  turn  each 
shaft  by  hand  a  few  revolutions  to  make  sure  there  is  noth- 
ing loose  or  misplaced.  Be  sure  that  the  two  bolts,  one 
on  each  side,  which  fasten  the  conveyor-extension  to  the 
conveyor  side-rails  are  perfectly  tight ;  otherwise,  this  ex- 
tension will  immediately  begin  to  hammer  itself  and  other 
parts  to  pieces.  After  the  machine  has  been  run  awhile, 
take  time  to  go  over  the  bolts  in  the  straw-rack,  especially 
those  holding  the  straw-rack  extension  to  the  straw-rack 
proper.  Any  attention  paid  to  keeping  bolts  tight  in  vi- 
brating parts  is  time  well  spent. 

Oiling.  The  oil  boxes  should  be  carefully  cleaned  of 
cinders  and  dirt  that  may  have  collected  during  shipment, 
and  the  paint  removed  from  the  oil  holes.  Screw  down 
the  plugs  of  the  grease  cups  on  beater,  fan  and  crank  boxes 
to  the  end  of  the  threads,  using  a  wrench,  if  necessary,  to 
clean  off  the  paint.  Fill  the  grease  cups  on  beater,  fan 
and  crank  boxes  with  hard  oil  and  fill  oil  cups  on  cylinder 
boxes  with  a  good  lubricating  oil.  It  is  best  to  first  place 
a  small  quantity  of  wool  or  cotton  waste  in  the  bottom  of 
each  oil-cup.  Connect  the  separator  with  engine  or  other 
power,  running  only  the  cylinder  for  a  time,  and  feeling 
of  the  boxes  to  ascertain  whether  they  show  any  tendency 
to  heat.  While  the  cylinder  is  running,  oil  both  ends  of 
the  crank  pitmans,  and  the  four  bearings  of  the  rock  shafts. 
Take  off  the  tightener  pulley  from  its  spindle,  clean  the 
spindle  and  its  inside  oil-chamber  and  holes,  and  oil  the 


STARTING  AND  SETTING  A  SEPARATOR       149 

spindle  before  replacing-  it.  Put  on  the  belt  driving  beater 
and  crank  (see  Fig.  46),  which  will  put  the  beater,  straw 
rack  and  conveyor  in  motion.  Next  oil  the  shoe-pitman 
eccentrics  and  the  bearings  of  the  shoe  shaft  if  there  be 
one.  This  shaft  is  driven  from  the  fan  on  right  side  of 
machine  (see  Fig.  45).  The  fan  belt,  which  runs  over 
crank  belt,  but  not  under  tightener  (see  Fig.  46),  and  the 
shoe  belt  may  be  now  run  on.  Oil  the  moving  parts  as 
they  run,  occasionally  screwing  down  the  grease  plugs  on 
crank-  and  fan-shaft  boxes.  The  chain  of  the  tailings 
elevator  should  be  adjusted  so  that  it  has  slack  enough  to 
turn  freely,  but  not  enough  to  allow  it  to  kink  or  unhook. 
After  oiling  the  upper  boxes  and  both  bearings  of  the  tail- 
ings auger  and  the  four  of  the  tailings  conveyor,  run  on 
the  elevator  belt,  which  drives  from  the  crank,  crossed 
(see  Fig.  45) .  Oil  the  bearings  of  the  grain  auger  and  put 
on  its  belt.  This  belt  is  used  on  the  right-hand  side  and 
crossed  for  all  grain  elevators  except  the  No.  4  bagger, 
which  may  be  used  on  either  side.  When  this  bagger  is 
used  on  the  right-hand  side,  then  the  belt  must  be  run 
straight  on  the  left-hand  side.  This  is  also  true  when  the 
machine  has  no  grain-handler  and  only  the  tally-box  is 
used. 

When  all  parts  of  the  separator  are  in  motion  the  bear- 
ings should  be  carefully  watched  to  detect  any  tendency  to 
heat,  and  this  can  best  be  done  when  the  machine  is  run- 
ning empty,  for  the  operator  can  then  give  it  his  entire 


150  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

attention.  The  machine  has  been  tested  and  left  the  fac- 
tory in  good  running  order,  but  dirt  and  grit  of  shipment 
by  rail  is  liable  to  cause  trouble  and  it  is  best  to  make  sure 
that  all  the  bearings  are  oiled.  It  is  of  great  importance 
that  these  bearings  be  well  oiled  on  the  first  run,  as  they  are 
somewhat  rough,  and  consequently  require  more  oil  and 
a  longer  time  for  it  to  spread  over  the  journals.  Oiling 
a  shaft  as  it  runs,  allows  the  oil  to  work  in  and  be  distrib- 
uted over  the  whole  bearing  surface. 

It  is  well  to  use  a  mixture  of  two  parts  of  machine  oil 
to  one  of  kerosene  for  the  first  oiling.  This  will  clean  out 
the  bearings  and  leave  them  in  good  condition  to  receive 
oil.  The  machine  should  be  again  oiled  with  undiluted 
oil  before  threshing.  When  the  machine  has  run  for  an 
hour  or  so  and  everything  shown  to  be  in  good  order,  it  is 
ready  for  threshing.  After  adjusting  the  concaves,  check 
board,  sieves  and  blinds,  to  suit  the  kind  and  condition  of 
grain,  according  to  the  directions  given  elsewhere  in  this 
book,  grain  may  be  run  through  the  machine. 

Setting  the  Separator.  The  separator  may  do  good 
work  if  the  rear  truck  wheels  be  a  few  inches  higher  or 
lower  than  the  front  wheels,  but  it  must  always  be  level 
cross-ways.  Use  a  spirit  level  of  good  length  on  the  rear 
axle  and  on  the  sills.  A  little  practice  or  calculation  will 
enable  one  to  determine  how  deep  a  hole  to  dig  in  front  of 
the  high  wheel  in  order  to  bring  the  fnachine  level  when 
pulled  into  it.  Knowing  the  axles  of  the  separator  to  be 


STARTING  AND  SETTING  A  SEPARATOR 

about  twelve  feet  apart,  it  is  easy  to  calculate  how  much 
the  front  or  rear  wheels  must  be  lowered  to  bring  the  ma- 
chine level.  For  example,  if  a  spirit  level  two  feet  in 
length  be  used  and  the  axles  are  twelve  feet  apart,  then  one 
axle  must  be  lowered  or  raised  just  six  times  as  much  as 
the  end  of  the  level.  If,  when  placed  on  the  sills,  the  front 
end  of  the  spirit  level  requires  raising,  for  example,  one- 
half  inch,  then  the  rear  wheels  must  be  lowered  six  times 
as  much,  or  three  inches,  to  bring  the  separator  level.  This 
method  may  also  be  used  in  determining  the  amount  to 
lower  one  rear  wheel  to  bring  machine  level  crossways, 
which,  as  already  stated,  is  more  important  than  having 
it  level  lengthways.  In  this  case,  however,  the  amount  in 
comparison  with  the  amount  shown  by  the  level  is  different 
for  each  size  of  separator.  The  hole  or  holes  should  be 
dug  before  the  engine  is  uncoupled  or  the  team  unhitched, 
so  that  if  not  level,  machine  may  be  pulled  out,  the  holes 
changed  and  the  machine  backed  into  them.  When  the 
machine  is  high  in  front,  it  can  be  quickly  leveled,  after 
engine  or  team  has  been  removed,  by  cramping  the  front 
axle,  digging  in  front  of  one  wheel  and  behind  the  other, 
so  that  wheels  will  drop  into  the  holes  when  pole  is  brought 
around  square. 

.With  geared  machines  "bolster- jacks"  are  used  to  keep 
the  "side-gear"  from  twisting  front  end  of  machine  out  of 
level.  The  hind  axle  being  level,  place  the  bolster- jacks 
in  position,  and  screw  them  up  so  as  to  level  the  front  of 


1 52  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

machine.  It  is  not  necessary  to  have  the  front  axle  level, 
as  the  bolster- jacks  will  accommodate  themselves  to  it. 

Place  a  block  in  front  of  the  right-hand  rear  wheel  to 
prevent  the  machine  from  being  drawn  forward  by  the  belt. 
This  block  should  be  carried  with  the  machine,  so  as  to  be 
handy  when  needed. 

When  pulling  the  machine  out  of  holes  with  a  team, 
starting  it  on  soft  ground  or  on  a  hill,  face  or  head  the  team 
around  to  one  side,  and  it  will  move  the  load  with  about 
half  the  effort  necessary  to  start  straight  ahead.  In  cramp- 
ing the  front  axle,  but  one  of  the  hind  wheels  starts  at  a 
time. 

Setting  with  Reference  to  the  Wind.  The  thresher- 
man  cannot  always  choose  the  direction  in  which  to  set  the 
machine,  but  when  he  can,  he  should  select  a  position  in 
which  the  wind  will  be  blowing  in  the  same  general  direc- 
tion as  that  in  which  the  straw  is  moving,  and  preferably 
a  little  "quartering,"  as  this  keeps  the  men  out  of  the  dust 
more  than  when  set  straight  with  the  wind.  This  posi- 
tion insures  greater  safety  from  fire  in  case  wood  or  straw 
is  used  as  fuel. 

In  Case  of  Fire,  the  quickest  way  to  move  the  machine 
away  from  the  stacks  is  to  pull  it  out  by  the  belt.  Take 
the  blocks  away  from  the  wheels,  place  a  man  at  the  end 
of  the  pole  to  steer,  and  back  the  engine  slowly.  If  the 
machine  be  in  holes  or  soft  ground,  put  men  at  the  wheels 
to  assist  in  starting. 


CHAPTER   II 
THE  CYLINDER,  CONCAVES  AND  BEATER 

IT  is  the  function  of  the  cylinder  and  concaves  to  loosen 
the  kernels  of  grain  from  the  straw  on  which  they 
grew.  The  ends  of  the  cylinder  teeth  travel  about  a 
mile  a  minute  so  that  the  grain  in  going  through  meets 
the  concave  teeth  with  considerable  force.  The  concave 
teeth  engage  with  the  cylinder  teeth  in  such  a  way  that 
the  grain  heads  cannot  pass  through  without  being  broken 
and  the  kernels  knocked  out  although  the  straw  is  in  contact 
with  the  cylinder  but  a  fraction  of  a  second.  If  the  teeth 
be  in  good  condition  and  a  sufficient  number  of  rows  of 
concave  teeth  be  used  to  suit  the  work,  practically  all  of 
the  grain  will  be  knocked  out. 

Cylinder  Teeth.  When  the  cylinder  is  new  or  newly 
refilled,  care  should  be  taken  to  keep  the  teeth  tight  until 
they  become  fitted  to  their  holes  and  firmly  seated.  The 
cylinder  should  be  gone  over  two  or  three  times  during  the 
first  week,  and  each  tooth  driven  in  hard  with  a  heavy 
hammer  and  the  nuts  tightened.  Afterwards  they  should 
be  gone  over  often  enough  to  be  sure  that  they  are  tight 
and  will  not  bother  while  threshing.  A  light  tap  with  the 
hammer  on  the  side  of  the  tooth  will  produce  a  sound  which 
will  easily  reveal  whether  or  not  it  is  tight  At  the  factory, 

153 


154  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

the  teeth  are  driven  in  and  tightened  with  a  long-handled 
wrench  and  then  driven  in  and  tightened  again,  but  they 
are  liable  to  get  loose  the  first  few  days  unless  special  at- 
tention be  paid  them.  If  a  tooth  be  allowed  to  remain 
loose  for  any  length  of  time,  the  hole  will  become  so  mis- 
shapen that  the  tooth  cannot  be  kept  tight  thereafter.  The 
teeth  should  be  kept  straight,  not  only  so  they  will  not 
strike,  but  also  so  that  they  will  pass  at  equal  distances 
from  the  concave  teeth  on  both  sides. 

Cylinder  Speed.  It  is  very  important  that  the  cylin- 
der run  at  the  proper  speed.  If  run  too  fast,  there  is  dan- 
ger of  cracking  the  grain,  and  if  run  too  slowly,  it  will  not 
thresh  clean.  Then,  too,  the  work  of  separation  and  clean- 
ing is  very  much  easier  if  the  cylinder  runs  at  the  proper 
speed  and  is  never  allowed  to  get  below  it.  The  motion 
must  be  uniform  if  the  best  results  be  expected,  for  every 
time  it  is  allowed  to  get  much  below  or  above  the  correct 
speed,  the  separator  is  liable  to  waste  grain.  With  the 
regular  pulleys,  the  large  2O-bar  cylinder  of  the  Case  sep- 
arator should  run  at  750  revolutions  per  minute  to  give 
the  proper  speed  to  the  other  parts  of  the  machine.  The 
regular  speed  of  the  small  or  12-bar  cylinder  is  1075  revo- 
lutions per  minute.  In  threshing  tough  rye  or  oats,  the 
cylinder  is  subjected  to  more  work,  and  often  runs  too 
slowly  if  attempt  be  made  to  maintain  the  normal  speed, 
therefore,  the  cylinder  should  run  faster  than  usual,  say, 
800  for  the  2O-bar  and  1150  for  the  12-bar,  in  order  that 
the  other  parts  of  the  machine  may  run  fully  up  to  their 


THE  CYLINDER,  CONCAVES  AND  BEATER 


155 


usual  speed.  Some  grains  and  legumes  require  special 
cylinder  speed  for  which  a  change  in  cylinder  pulleys  is 
desirable.  These  are  given  elsewhere  in  this  book. 


MAIN     CYLINDER     PULLEYS. 


Number. 

Diameter 

Face 

Bore 

MACHINE 

5564T 

6      " 

9     " 

1H' 

12-Bar  Wood,  Special. 

•    761T 

7Y4"" 

8    " 

i5/8;; 

12-Bar  Special. 

501T 

8     ' 

12-Bar  Reg.  18"  and  24". 

SOl^T 

8/4* 

8    " 

1/8  ;; 

12-Bar  Wood,  Regular. 

1867T 

sy2" 

8    " 

12-Bar  Wood,  Special. 

861T 

834" 

8    " 

1/8" 

12-Bar  Special. 

5004T 

9/4" 

9    " 

is/8;; 

12-Bar  Reg.  28". 

5005T 

9.14" 

9     " 

12-Bar  Wood,  Special. 

5006T 

9J4" 

9    " 

21A" 

12-Bar  Wood,  Special. 

SOOT 

93/8;; 

8    " 

\s/&" 

12-Bar  Regular. 

5051T 

9    " 

l?/^" 

12-Bar  Rice. 

5052T 

10j|" 

9     ' 

m" 

12-Bar  Wood,   Rice   and 

Shredder. 

5053T 

1054" 

9    " 

Ws" 

12-Bar  Wood,    Rice   and 

Shredder. 

5441T 

10    " 

9*4" 

«To 

20-Bar  Special. 

5367T 

n/4" 

9^4" 

i^To 

20-Bar  Special. 

5368T 

12    " 

9/4" 

2rs" 

20-Bar  Special. 

5294T 

1334" 

9    " 

2  A" 

20-Bar  Regular. 

A5294T 

143/8'; 

9J4" 

2A" 

20-Bar  Special. 

5440T 

9y4" 

2  Vti" 

20-Bar  Special. 

5369T 

16  8" 

9J4" 

2^j" 

20-Bar  Rice. 

5372T 

26    " 

9    " 

2A" 

20-Bar  Peas  and  Beans. 

Ascertaining  Cylinder  Speed.  The  best  way  to  as- 
certain the  speed  is  by  means  of  a  revolution  counter, 
but  if  one  be  not  at  hand,  the  speed  may  be  found  by  count- 
ing the  number  of  times  the  main  drive  belt  goes  around 
in  a  minute.  To  do  this,  multiply  the  required  speed  of 
the  cylinder  by  the  circumference  of  the  cylinder  pulley  in 
inches  and  divide  by  12  to  reduce  to  feet.  Dividing  by 
the  length  of  the  belt  in  feet  will  give  the  required  number 


156  SCIENCE   OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

of  times  belt  should  go  around  in  a  minute.  For  example : 
If  cylinder  be  a  2O-bar,  its  speed  should  be  750  and  the 
regular  pulley  5294^  for  this  is  13^/2  inches  in  diameter  or 
42  inches  in  circumference.  Multiplying  750  by  42  gives 
31,500  inches  as  the  product.  Dividing  this  by  12  to  re- 
duce to  feet  gives  2625  feet  per  minute  as  the  required 
travel  of  the  belt.  If  this  be  120  feet  long,  dividing  by  120 
gives  22  (nearly)  as  the  required  number  of  rounds  of  the 
belt  per  minute.  With  a  150  foot  belt,  the  number  of 
rounds  will  be  nearly  18  or  with  160  foot  belt  17  (nearly) 
rounds.  In  the  same  manner,  the  required  number  of 
rounds  can  be  figured  for  any  cylinder  speed,  cylinder  pul- 
ley or  length  of  belt. 

Cylinder  Boxes.  The  cylinder  boxes  are  the  most  im- 
portant bearings  on  a  separator  and  they  must  receive  a 
certain  amount  of  attention  or  there  will  be  trouble.  All 
Case  cylinders  are  fitted  with  ball  and  socket  self-aligning 
boxes,  which  practically  eliminate  all  possibility  of  their 
heating  from  improper  alignment.  The  boxes  on  2O-bar 
cylinders  are  about  eight  inches  long,  allowing  a  good  bear- 
ing surface  for  these  large  cylinders  and  all  are  fitted  with 
oil  cups  which  hold  a  sufficient  quantity  of  oil  to  amply 
lubricate  the  bearings.  The  chapter  on  "Lubrication  and 
Hot  Boxes"  should  be  read  with  special  reference  to  the 
cylinder  boxes. 

To  Take  "End  Play"  Out  of  the  Cylinder.  Loosen 
lower  half  of  housing  of  box  by  slacking  the  nuts  which 


THE  CYLINDER,  CONCAVES  AND  BEATER  1 57 

secure  it,  and  slide  it  against  hub  of  cylinder  head.  The 
holes  in  the  ironsides  are  slotted  to  allow  for  this  end 
adjustment  and  also  to  permit  the  moving1  of  the  cylinder 
in  case  the  cylinder  teeth  do  not  come  exactly  between  the 
concave  teeth.  Do  not  crowd  cylinder  box  so  hard  against 
the  cylinder  head  as  to  cause  danger  of  heating.  It  is  best 
to  leave  about  1-64  of  an  inch  end  play. 

Tracking  of  Teeth.  All  regular  Case  2O-bar  cylinders 
have  five  teeth  which  pass  in  the  same  space  between  the 
concave  teeth,  during  one  revolution,  "five  teeth  tracking" 
as  it  is  called.  The  12-bar  cylinders  have  three  teeth 
tracking. 

Cracking  Grain.  The  cut  on  the  following  page  is  full 
size  and  shows  the  actual  distance  between  the  concave  and 
cylinder  teeth  of  the  Case  regular  cylinder.  It  is  shown  to 
emphasize  the  importance  of  having  the  cylinder  properly 
adjusted  endwise  and  of  keeping  the  teeth  straight.  Sup- 
posing all  the  teeth  to  be  straight  and  that  the  cylinder  be 
moved  1-16  of  an  inch  to  one  end.  Then  instead  of  there 
being  1-8  of  an  inch  space  between  the  cylinder  and  con- 
cave teeth  on  both  sides,  the  cylinder  teeth  would  be  3-16 
of  an  inch  from  the  concave  teeth  on  one  side  and  only 
1-16  of  an  inch  from  them  on  the  other.  This  condition 
of  affairs  would  allow  the  heads  to  slip  through  without 
being  threshed  on  one  side  of  the  teeth  and  on  the  other 
would  crack  the  grain  and  cut  up  the  straw,  thereby  con- 
suming much  power,  increasing  the  difficulties  of  separa- 


INSIDE  CYLINDER  BAR 


OUTSIDE  CYLINDER  BAR 


FIG.    44.      CUT    SHOWING    SPACE    BETWEEN   TEETH — FULL    SIZE. 


THE  CYUNDER,  CONCAVES  AND  BEATER  159 

tion  and  making  the  sieves  handle  a  large  amount  of  chaff. 
This  same  condition  exists  when  all  of  the  teeth  are  more 
or  less  bent.  The  cylinder  may  be  moved  endwise,  as  al- 
ready explained,  to  give  the  proper  spaces  between  the 
teeth,  but  the  teeth  must  be  kept  straight  Too  high  speed 
or  too  many  concave  teeth  may  cause  cracking. 

Special  Cylinders.  To  do  good  work  in  rice  a  special 
cylinder  and  concave  are  required  with  a  wider  spacing  of 
the  teeth  than  the  regular  ones.  This  gives  more  clear- 
ance between  the  cylinder  and  concave  teeth  and,  together 
with  a  reduced  speed,  prevents  the  cylinder  from  cracking 
the  rice.  A  special  cylinder  and  concaves  are  also  made 
for  threshing  peas,  beans  and  peanuts.  Either  of  these 
special  cylinders  may  be  put  in  any  Case  separator  if  the 
concaves  and  concave  circles  be  changed  also.  Further 
information  regarding  threshing  rice,  peas,  beans,  peanuts, 
etc.,  is  given  elsewhere  in  this  book. 

Balancing  Cylinders.  On  account  of  the  high  speed  at 
which  cylinders  run,  they  must  be  accurately  balanced  or 
they  will  not  run  smoothly.  It  is  essential  in  balancing  a 
cylinder  that  the  weights  used  for  this  purpose  be  placed 
where  the  deficiency  of  weight  exists.  The  shop  practice 
is  to  rest  the  journals  of  a  cylinder  on  level  ways  and  put 
weights  under  center  bands  until  the  cylinder  will  stand  at 
any  point  on  the  ways.  The  cylinder  is  then  put  in  a  frame 
having  narrow,  loosely  fitting  wooden  boxes  and  run  at  a 
high  speed.  The  parts  of  the  journals  extending  beyond 


160  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

the  boxes  are  marked  as  it  runs.  These  marks  show  the 
initiated  at  which  end  and  at  what  point  to  drive  the 
weights  used  in  the  final  balancing.  A  cylinder  may  be 
balanced,  though  not  as  perfectly  as  is  done  at  the  factory, 
by  resting  it  on  ways  made  by  placing  two  carpenter's 
squares  on  wooden  horses.  The  squares  should  have 
blocks  nailed  on  each  side  to  keep  them  on  edge,  and  should 
be  carefully  leveled  both  ways.  Place  the  cylinder  near 
the  center  of  the  ways  and  roll  it  gently.  Mark  with  a 
piece  of  chalk  the  bar  that  is  uppermost  when  it  comes  to 
rest.  Repeat,  and  if  cylinder  stops  in  the  same  position 
three  times  in  succession,  drive  a  wedge  under  center  band 
at  the  chalk  mark.  Rub  off  the  marks  and  repeat  until 
the  cylinder  comes  to  rest  at  any  point.  Care  should  be 
taken  not  to  mar  the  journals  in  placing  them  on  the  ways. 
The  cylinder  may  be  out  of  balance  by  lack  of  the  full 
number  of  teeth. 

The  Concaves.  All  that  has  been  said  about  keeping 
the  cylinder  teeth  tight  applies  also  to  the  concave  teeth. 
They  should  be  driven  in  and  tightened  as  often  as  neces- 
sary, until  they  are  firmly  seated.  In  driving  them  in,  it 
is  necessary,  however,  to  use  some  judgment,  as  the  con- 
caves are  of  cast  iron  and  are  liable  to  split  if  the  teeth  are 
driven  in  too  hard. 

Setting  the  Concaves.  The  concaves  should  be  ad- 
justed to  suit  the  kind  and  condition  of  grain.  Four  rows 
of  teeth  are  usually  required  for  wheat  and  barley,  but  for 


THE  CYUNDER,  CONCAVES  AND  BEATER  l6l 

damp  grain  six  rows  will  be  necessary.  Rye  can  usually 
be  threshed  with  two  rows,  but  the  cylinder  speed  should 
be  higher  than  for  wheat.  Oats  when  dry  can  generally 
be  threshed  with  two  rows  of  teeth,  but  flax  and  timothy 
will  require  six  rows.  Where  four  are  used,  they  are  most 
effective  if  one  concave  be  placed  clear  back  and  one  in 
front  with  a  blank  in  the  center.  In  hand  feeding,  if  the 
straw  be  dry  and  brittle,  the  cylinder  can  be  given  more 
"draw"  by  placing  a  blank  in  front.  Always  use  as  few 
teeth,  and  leave  them  as  low  as  is  possible  and  thresh  clean. 
When  too  many  teeth  are  used,  or  when  they  are  left  higher 
than  is  necessary,  the  straw  will  be  cut  up,  the  grain  may 
be  cracked  and,  besides  using  more  power,  the  separation 
is  made  much  more  difficult,  and  the  sieves  are  obliged  to 
handle  an  unnecessarily  large  amount  of  chopped  straw. 
It  is  better  to  use  two  rows  set  clear  up  than  four  rows  left 
low.  Sometimes  a  row  of  teeth  is  taken  out  of  a  concave, 
making  it  possible  to  use  one,  three  or  five  rows. 

Special  Concaves.  Some  grains,  as  for  example,  Tur- 
key wheat,  are  extremely  difficult  to  thresh  from  the  head, 
and  if  it  be  found  that  the  regular  six  rows  will  not  thresh 
clean,  a  three-row  concave,  filled  with  corrugated  teeth, 
should  be  procured.  This,  with  two  regular  concaves, 
will  give  seven  rows  of  teeth.  Should  it  be  necessary, 
two,  or  even  three,  three-row  concaves  of  corrugated  teeth 
may  be  used.  The  three-row  concaves  of  corrugated  teeth 
are  usually  used  for  threshing  alfalfa,  but  for  clover,  the 

11 


l62  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

special  clover  concaves  are  necessary.  Information  con- 
cerning them  is  given  elsewhere  in  this  book. 

Adjustment  of  Concaves.  In  the  left  side  of  the  "iron- 
sides," or  cylinder  side  castings,  of  the  wood  12-bar  sep- 
arator, there  are  screws,  which  press  against  the  concave 
circle  and  take  up  the  end  play  of  the  concaves.  The  steel 
and  2O-bar  wood  machines  have  screws  in  both  ironsides. 
When  it  is  desired  to  change  the  concaves,  raise  them  up 
and  drop  them  down  a  few  times  to  jar  out  the  dust  and 
dirt  which  has  become  lodged  between  concave  circles  and 
ironsides,  wedging  them  tight.  With  concaves  in  their 
lowest  position,  place  a  stick  of  wood,  the  tooth  straight- 
ener,  or  anything  else  that  may  be  handy,  between  concave 
and  cylinder  teeth  and  raise  the  concaves  so  that  the  teeth 
cannot  pass.  Then  roll  the  cylinder  backward,  striking 
the  concaves  several  times  with  the  momentum  of  the  cyl- 
inder if  necessary,  until  they  are  jarred  loose  and  come 
up  with  the  cylinder,  as  it  is  rolled  backward  by  hand.  The 
screws  mentioned  above  may  be  loosened  if  necessary, 
but  if  they  be,  it  should  be  done  on  one  side  only  so  as  not 
to  disturb  the  adjustment. 

Caution  Concerning  the  Cylinder.  When  the  separa- 
tor is  belted  to  an  engine,  one  should  make  sure  that  the 
engineer  has  closed  the  throttle,  opened  the  cylinder  cocks, 
and  (if  the  engine  be  a  traction)  that  the  reverse-lever 
is  in  the  center  notch  before  changing  concaves,  fixing 
teeth  or  otherwise  handling  the  separator  cylinder. 


THE  CYLINDER,  CONCAVES  AND  BEATER  163 

The  Beater.  In  threshing  very  heavy,  tough  grain, 
if  the  straw  be  inclined  to  wrap  the  beater  or  if  it  tends 
to  follow  the  cylinder  around  too  far,  the  beater  may  be 
raised  by  taking  out  the  blocks  from  between  the  beater 
boxes  and  the  girt  to  which  they  are  fastened  on  wood  sep- 
arators or  by  moving  the  girts  to  the  upper  holes  on  steel 
machines.  There  is  also  provision  in  the  girts  for  moving 
the  beater  back  to  give  more  room  between  beater  and 
cross-piece,  but  it  is  very  seldom  necessary  to  move  it.  The 
speed  of  the  beater  is  four  hundred  revolutions  per  minute 
and  as  its  bearings  are  provided  with  hard-oil  cups,  a  little 
attention  will  keep  them  in  good  running  order. 

The  Grates.  A  large  percentage  of  the  grain  is  sep- 
arated from  the  straw  by  the  grates  through  which  it  is 
thrown  with  all  the  force  acquired  from  the  cylinder.  The 
grate  under  the  beater  is  adjustable  and  should  usually  be 
kept  as  high  as  possible  for  the  separation  is  better  when  it 
is  high.  It  should  never  be  lowered  unless  absolutely 
necessary. 

The  Check  Board  should  usually  be  kept  quite  low  to 
prevent  the  grain  from  being  thrown  to  the  rear  of  the  ma- 
chine on  top  of  the  straw,  where  it  might  be  carried  out 
of  the  machine  without  being  separated.  In  damp  grain 
and  especially  damp  rye  or  oats  the  check  board  should  be 
raised  to  allow  the  straw  to  pass  freely  through  the  ma- 
chine, for  if  left  down,  it  will  retard  the  straw  too  much, 
and  may  cause  the  cylinder  to  wind. 


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CHAPTER   III 

THE  STRAW-RACK  AND  CONVEYOR 

THE  straw-rack  and  conveyor  are  both  carried  by 
studs  on  the  rocker  or  "vibrating"  arms,  the  straw- 
rack  having  a  longer  leverage  than  the  conveyor, 
so  that  each  counterbalances  the  other.  They  are  more 
accurately  balanced  when  the  machine  is  in  operation  and 
both  are  loaded  than  when  the  machine  is  running  empty. 
It  is  very  difficult  to  separate  grain  from  straw  that  is  badly 
cut  up,  therefore  care  should  be  taken  to  use  as  few  rows 
of  concave  teeth  as  will  thresh  clean  from  the  heads. 

Speed.  The  most  important  factor  in  producing  good 
work  by  the  straw-rack  is  the  speed.  To  do  good  work, 
it  must  make  230  vibrations  per  minute.  Its  speed  can 
best  be  determined  by  using  a  revolution-counter  on  the 
crank  shaft.  Some  persons  can  determine  the  speed  by 
letting  one  of  the  pitmans  or  a  key  of  one  of  the  crank 
shaft  pulleys  strike  one  hand  once  every  revolution,  while 
holding  a  watch  in  the  other  hand  and  counting  for  a  half 
or  a  full  minute.  The  proper  speed  is  as  essential  to  good 
work  by  the  conveyor  sieve  or  "chaffer"  as  by  the  straw- 
rack  ;  if  too  fast,  grain  will  go  over  the  sieve  with  the  chaff, 
and  if  too  slow  the  sieve  will  be  overloaded. 

The  present  style  of  straw-rack  has  riser  supports, 

167 


l68  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

which  prevent  the  risers  from  sagging  in  the  middle.  (See 
Fig.  43).  Fish-backs  are  nailed  to  the  straw-rack  risers, 
two  on  the  second  riser  (from  the  front),  three  on  the 
third  and  four  on  the  fourth.  The  fish-backs  aid  mater- 
ially in  separation. 

A  Special  Straw-Rack  called  the  "Oregon"  straw-rack 
is  made  for  use  where  the  straw  is  badly  cut  up  or  so  short 
owing  to  the  grain  being  headed  that  most  of  it  passes 
through  the  regular  rack.  Parts  can  be  furnished  for 
making  the  regular  rack  into  one  of  the  Oregon  style. 

Pounding.  The  crank-boxes  and  pitmans  should  be 
kept  adjusted  so  that  the  machine  does  not  make  a  knock- 
ing or  pounding  noise.  The  maple  boxes  on  the  straw- 
rack  and  conveyor  are  inexpensive  and  should  be  replaced 
when  worn  out.  The  pitmans  shorten  as  they  wear,  and 
this,  with  the  wear  of  the  crank  boxes,  sometimes  allows 
the  rear  vibrating  arms  to  drop  nearly  to  their  dead-centers. 
This  causes  the  machine  to  run  hard,  pound  badly,  and  is 
liable  to  break  the  vibrating  arms.  The  rear  vibrating 
arms  may  be  prevented  from  dropping  too  low  in  three 
ways:  first,  by  moving  the, crank-shaft ;  if  the  frame  be  of 
wood,  the  crank  boxes  may  be  moved  forward  by  putting 
leather  between  them  and  the  post ;  second,  by  lengthening 
pitmans  by  putting  leather  over  worn  surface  at  ends  or 
by  getting  new  and  longer  pitmans ;  and  third,  by  moving 
the  rock-shaft  boxes  to  the  rear.  This  last  method  is  the 
most  difficult  and  should  it  be  attempted,  care  must  be  taken 
to  move  all  the  boxes  exactly  the  same  distance. 


CHAPTER   IV 

THE  CLEANING  APPARATUS 

THE  fan  and  sieves  separate  the  grain  from  the  chaff. 
It  is  in  the  handling  of  these,  which  constitute  the 
"cleaning  apparatus,"  more  than  any  other  part  of 
the  separator,  that  the  skill  of  the  operator  or  separator 
"tender,"  as  he  is  called,  shows  itself.     The  local  reputa- 
tion of  any  particular  machine  is  largely  due  to  its  record 
as  a  "cleaner." 

The  Fan  Blinds.  The  position  of  the  fan  blinds  regu- 
lates the  amount  of  wind  or  "blast"  that  the  fan  produces. 
These  should  be  adjusted  to  clean  the  grain  without  blow- 
ing it  over  and  this  adjustment  can  be  made  while  the  ma- 
chine is  running.  Both  upper  and  lower  blinds  should  be 
partly  open.  The  right-hand  blinds  affect  the  left  side  of 
the  sieve  and  vice  versa;  therefore,  if  grain  is  being  blown 
over  on  one  side,  the  blinds  on  the  opposite  side  should  be 
closed  a  little.  Use  as  much  wind  as  possible  without 
blowing  over  grain.  In  windy  weather  it  is  necessary  to 
close  the  blinds  on  the  windward  side  of  the  machine  more 
than  those  on  the  other  side.  The  blast  is  retarded  by  the 
volume  of  chaff  it  is  moving,  hence  heavy  feeding,  and  a 
blast  that  is  all  right  when  the  cylinder  is  kept  full,  will 

169 


170  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

carry  over  grain  when  the  machine  runs  empty.  Steady 
feeding  is  therefore  important  on  this  account  and  the 
separator  tender  should  let  the  pitchers  understand  that 
he  cannot  produce  the  best  results  without  their  aid,  in 
keeping  an  even  and  continuous  stream  of  grain  going  into 
the  cylinder. 

The  Wind-Board  is  placed  in  the  machine  so  that  the 
blast  from  the  fan  will  strike  the  conveyor  sieve  about  half 
way  back.  The  strongest  part  of  the  blast  will  then  pass 
through  the  shoe  sieve  near  the  front  end  which  gives  it  a 
cleaning  capacity  its  entire  length.  If  the  wind  board  be- 
comes bent  or  sagged  so  that  it  stands  but  little  above  the 
floor  of  the  shoe,  the  grain  will  slide  over  it  into  the  fan, 
and  then  be  thrown  clear  out  of  the  machine.  To  prevent 
the  liability  of  this,  belts  or  "traps"  should  not  be  kept  in 
the  fan  drum. 

Fan  Speed.  The  speed  of  the  fan  for  12-bar  separator 
should  be  about  470  and  for  the  2O-bar  about  485  revolu- 
tions. 

Sieves.  The  function  of  all  sieves  is  to  assist  the  fan  in 
separating  the  grain  from  the  chaff  and  in  preventing  heads 
and  other  heavy  objects  larger  in  size  than  the  grain  from 
mingling  with  the  clean  grain.  Sieves  are  distinguished 
from  screens  in  that  the  grain  being  cleaned  passes  through 
them  while  it  passes  over  a  screen. 

Adjustable  Sieves.  To  obviate  the  delay  and  trouble 
of  changing  sieves  each  time  the  machine  threshes  a  dif- 


THE  CLEANING  APPARATUS 

ferent  grain,  adjustable  sieves  have  been  constructed  in 
which  the  size  of  the  openings  may  be  changed  to  suit  the 
kind  of  grain  or  seed.  This  adjustment  may  be  made  while 
the  machine  is  running.  All  Case  separators  are  regularly 
fitted  with  an  adjustable  conveyor-sieve,  commonly  called 
the  "chaffer,"  adjustable  conveyor-extension  and  adjusta- 
ble shoe-sieve.  The  latter  should  be  placed  in  the  shoe 
with  the  rear  rod  in  the  fourth  hole  and  the  front  end  high 
enough  to  leave  only  an  inch  between  it  and  the  heel  board 
of  the  shoe. 

The  Conveyor-Extension  or  Chaffer-Extension  carries 
the  coarse  chaff  from  the  conveyor  sieve  to  the  stacker. 
The  conveyor  sieve  should  be  so  adjusted  as  to  let  all  the 
good  grain  through  because  that  which  goes  to  the  exten- 
sion and  drops  through  it  is  returned  with  the  tailings  to 
the  cylinder.  The  conveyor-extension  should  be  coarser 
than  the  conveyor  sieve  so  as  to  allow  all  the  unthreshed 
heads  to  pass  through.  If  they  pass  over  it  they  are  lost. 
The  present  style  of  adjustable  conveyor  extension  is 
hinged  to  the  rear  of  the  conveyor  sieve  and  also  fastened 
to  the  conveyor  side-rails.  By  loosening  the  bolts  which 
hold  it  to  the  side  rails  this  extension  may  be  lifted  out  of 
the  way  to  get  at  shoe  sieves. 

Common  Sieves  is  the  name  given  to  non-adjustable 
sieves  and  includes  the  lip,  the  round-hole,  the  oblong-hole 
and  the  woven-wire  sieves. 

Fig.  48  shows  the  nine  positions  or  notches,  in  which  a 


SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

sieve  may  be  placed  at  the  fan  end  of  the  shoe,  and  they 
are  numbered,  beginning  at  the  top.  It  also  shows  the  six 
positions  for  the  rod  at  the  rear  end  and  these  are  also 
numbered  from  the  top. 

To  Insert  Common  Sieves  place  a  long  rod  in  the  bot- 
tom of  slots,  leaving  nuts  loose.  The  rods  at  fan  end  of 
sieve  are  about  il/2  inches  longer  than  those  at  rear  end. 
In  changing  from  one  sieve  to  another  it  is  not  necessary 
to  remove  the  rod  at  fan  end.  Slide  in  the  sieve  and  put 


FIG.    48.      SHOE    SHOWING    POSITIONS   OF    SIEVE   RODS. 


a  short  rod  in  the  proper  hole  at  rear.  Adjust  sieve  to 
proper  position  at  front  end  and  tighten  the  nuts.  If  two 
sieves  are  to  be  used  put  the  top  one  in  first  with  rod  in 
bottom  of  the  slots.  Raise  it  up  to  proper  position,  then 
put  rod  for  lower  sieve  in  the  slots  and  slide  it  in  below  the 
other.  The  rod  of  upper  sieve  cannot  be  tightened  until 
lower  sieve  is  in  place.  Insert  pins  in  the  holes  to  hold  it 
up  while  putting  in  lower  sieve.  Screw  the  nuts  up  quite 
tightly,  but  not  so  much  as  to  cause  the  sieves  to  buckle. 


THE  CLEANING  APPARATUS  173 

Twenty-penny  wire  nails  may  be  used  as  pins  in  adjusting 
sieves. 

Screens.  A  screen  removes  particles  smaller  than  the 
grain  or  seed  being  threshed,  such  as  weed  seeds,  sand,  or 
other  foreign  matter  which  is  generally  valueless.  Some- 
times, however,  a  useful  seed,,  such  as  timothy  is  screened 
out  of  one  of  the  large  grains,  as  wheat.  In  general,  for 
weed  seeds  that  are  approximately  round,  the  round  hole 
are  better  than  the  oblong  hole  screens.  However,  the  lat- 
ter are  the  only  ones  that  will  take  out  "cheat"  which  is 
often  found  in  wheat.  The  screen  lies  in  the  bottom  of  the 
shoe  and  is  held  in  place  by  hooks  with  thumb  nuts  which 
engage  castings  fastened  on  the  frame  of  the  screen.  When 
a  screen  is  used  the  removable  strip  in  the  bottom  of  the 
shoe  must  be  taken  out  to  allow  the  screenings  to  fall  to  the 
ground.  All  screens  are  liable  to  become  clogged  and  in 
this  condition  obstruct  the  passage  of  the  grain  and  wind. 
They  should  therefore  be  kept  clean  and  only  used  when 
necessary.  The  list  of  screens  is  given  on  page  172  and 
they  are  illustrated  on  page  173. 

The  Tailings  Elevator  returns  to  the  cylinder  for  a 
second  threshing  the  unthreshed  heads  and  all  trash 
dropped  through  the  straw-rack  which  is  too  coarse  to  fall 
through  the  sieves  and  too  heavy  to  be  blown  out  by  the 
blast.  It  consists  of  an  elevator  (with  cups  or  flights 
carried  on  sprocket  chain),  into  which  the  tailings  are  de- 
livered by  an  auger  (called  the  tailings  auger)  and  a  spout 


174 


SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 


LIST  OF  COMMON   SIEVES   AND   SCREENS. 

D.  Conveyor  sieve,  2  in.  lip,  shown  below.    02600T  to  02607T. 

E.  Conveyor  or  oat  sieve,  1J4  in.  lip.  shown  below.     02610T  to 

02617T. 

F.  Oat  sieve,  M  in.  lip,  shown  below.    02620T  to  02627T. 

G.  Wheat  sieve,  ^  in.  lip,  shown  below.    02630T  to  02637T. 

H.        Wheat  sieve,  U  in.  round  hole,  page  175.    02770T  to  02777T. 
I.         Flax  sieve,  &  in.  round  hole,  page  175.    02720T  to  02727T. 
K,        Cheat  screen,  spec.,  AxJi  in.  oblong  hole,  page  175.    02730T 

to  02737T. 
L.        Cheat  screen,  reg.,  Jx*.l/2  in.  oblong  hole,  page  175.     02C40T 

to  02647T. 

M.       Timothy  sieve,  A  in.  round  hole,  page  175.  02650T  to  02657T. 
N.       Alfalfa,  3^2  in.  round  hole,  page  175.    02670T  to  02677T. 
O.        Cockle  screen,  Y&  in.  round  hole,  page  175.    02680T  to  02687T. 
P.        Pea    screen,    &xJ4    in.    oblong   hole,    page    175.     02690T    to 

02697T. 

Q.        Wheat  sieve,  4^x4%  mesh  wire,  page  175. 
R.        Clover  sieve,  12x12  mesh  wire,  page  175.    02830T  to  02837T. 
T.        Timothy  sieve,  16x16  mesh  wire,  page  175.    02840T  to  02847T. 
U.        Orchard-grass  sieve,  ^2^/2  in.  oblong  hole,  page  175.   02740T 

to  02747T. 

W.  Pea  screen,  J^xJ4  in.  mesh  wire,  page  175. 
X.  Dodder  screen,  -fa  in.  round  hole,  page  175.  02810T  to  02817T. 
Y.  Clover  sieve,  A  in.  round  hole,  page  175.  02780T  to  02787T. 
NOTE: — The  above  sieves  are  used  for  many  other  grains  and 
seeds,  but  the  few  mentioned  will  serve  to  identify  and  explain  the 
nature  of  the  sieves. 


2* Up  Sieve  "D"        VA"  Lip  Sieve  "E"     &"  Lip  Sieve  "F" 
FIG.  49.     LIP  SIEVES.     (Reduced.) 


i"  Lip  Sieve  "G* 


r"  Round  Hole  "X."       •&"  Round  Hole  "M."      A"  Round  Hole  "Y." 


&'  Round  Hole  "N."       \"  Round  Hole  "O."       A"  Round  Hole  "I." 


"  Round  Hole  "H."     &xf"  Oblong  Hole  "K."   ^x|"  Oblong  Hole"L." 


"  Oblong  Hole  "U."    £x|'  Oblong  Hole'T."    Jxf"  Mesh  Wire  "W." 


u 


16x16 Mesh  Wire"T."      12x12  Mesh Wire"R."    4^x4 J"  Mesh  Wire"Q." 

FIG.   SO.      SIEVES   AND   SCREENS.       (Full    Size,) 


176  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

to  carry  the  tailings  from  the  end  of  the  elevator  to  the 
cylinder.  This  spout  has  an  auger  on  most  separators 
and  it  is  then  called  the  "tailings  conveyor."  The  tailings 
elevator  is  driven  from  the  crank-shaft  with  a  crossed 
belt  so  that  the  chain  carries  the  tailings  up  the  lower  pipe. 
The  speed  of  the  drive  shaft  at  top  is  185  revolutions  per 
minute  and  the  upper  and  lower  sprockets  having  the  same 
number  of  teeth,  the  tailings  auger  also  runs  at  this  speed. 

Oiling  Tailings  Elevator.  The  boxes  to  be  oiled  on 
tailings  elevator  are  the  two  of  the  shaft  at  the  upper  end, 
the  one  bolted  to  "boot"  at  lower  end  and  its  mate,  which 
is  at  the  other  end  of  the  auger  on  opposite  side  of  separa- 
tor. The  tailings  conveyor  has  two  bearings  for  the  small 
cross-shaft  and  one  at  each  end  of  auger.  These  should 
be  frequently  oiled  and  the  bevel  gears  kept  greased. 

Adjusting  Chain  of  Tailings  Elevator.  The  boxes  at 
the  upper  end  of  the  elevator  have  slotted  holes  to  allow 
them  to  be  moved  for  tightening  the  chain  carrying  the 
cups.  Set-screws  with  long  threads  aid  in  adjusting  the 
boxes  and  in  holding  them  in  place.  The  chain  should  be 
kept  tight  enough  to  prevent  it  from  unhooking,  but  it 
should  have  slack  enough  to  run  freely.  Unlike  the  Grain 
Handlers,  one  or  any  number  of  links  may  be  taken  out  to 
shorten  it.  The  short  chain  driving  the  tailings  conveyor 
is  tightened  by  lowering  the  brackets  supporting  it,  the 
holes  in  which  are  slotted  for  this  purpose. 

To  Put  Chain  in  Tailings  Elevator.     Tie  a  weight  to 


THE  CLEANING  APPARATUS 

the  end  of  a  rope  and  drop  it  down  the  lower  part  of  eleva- 
tor. Untie  the  weight  and  tie  the  rope  to  end  of  chain, 
and  while  one  man  is  pulling  on  the  rope  from  above  let 
another  feed  the  chain  in  from  below.  When  chain  ap- 
pears at  the  top,  drop  the  rope  down  the  upper  part  of  the 
elevator,  and  when  chain  is  started  around  the  upper 
sprocket,  pull  the  rope  from  below  and  feed  it  in  as  before 
to  bring  it  to  its  proper  place.  Hook  the  chain  at  bottom, 
see  that  it  is  on  the  sprocket,  and  tighten  by  means  of  ad- 
justing screws  at  the  top.  Turn  the  pulley  at  top  of  ele- 
vator by  hand  until  the  chain  has  gone  once  around  to  in- 
sure its  being  free  from  kinks. 

The  Tailings  are  a  good  indication  of  the  work  the 
sieves  are  doing.  They  should  be  small  in  amount  and 
contain  no  light  chaff  and  very  little  plump  grain.  If  too 
much  good  grain  be  returned  with  the  tailings,  ascertain 
if  it  comes  over  the  shoe  sieve  or  through  the  conveyor 
extension.  If  it  be  passing  over  the  shoe  sieve,  probably 
this  sieve  is  overloaded  with  chaff,  as  is  sometimes  the  case 
when  the  straw  is  badly  cut  up.  To  remedy  this,  the  con- 
veyor sieve  should  be  partly  closed  to  let  less  straw  through. 
If,  however,  the  good  grain  is  going  over  the  conveyor 
sieve  and  through  the  conveyor  extension,  the  remedy  is 
just  the  reverse,  that  is,  the  conveyor  sieve  should  be 
opened.  The  adjustment  in  separators  with  lip  sieves  is 
made  by  bending  the  lips,  but  as  a  usual  thing,  they  should 

be  at  about  a  forty-five  degree  angle.     Grain  returned  in 
12 


178  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL,  THRESHING 

the  tailings  is  apt  to  be  cracked  by  the  cylinder,  and  when 
the  tailings  are  heavy  this  is  sometimes  of  importance.  If 
very  much  chaff  is  returned  it  increases  the  difficulties  of 
separation,  and  must  be  handled  by  the  sieves  again.  In 
all  cases  have  as  few  tailings  as  possible. 

The  Waste  in  Threshing.  There  is  not  a  machine  built 
at  the  present  time  that  will  save  every  kernel  in  all  kinds 
and  conditions  of  grain.  The  Case  will  separate  the  grain 
from  the  straw  better  than  any  machine  made,  but  to  ac- 
complish the  best  results  it  must  be  properly  operated. 
When  one  detects  a  machine  wasting  grain,  he  usually 
imagines  that  the  quantity  wasted  amounts  to  many  times 
more  than  it  actually  does.  If  a  stream  of  wheat  as  large 
as  that  which  runs  out  of  a  grain-drill  tooth  were  discov- 
ered going  into  the  straw  the  farmer  would  probably  say 
that  the  machine  was  wasting  half  the  grain.  Yet  he 
knows  that  he  must  drive  very  fast  to  get  a  bushel  and  a 
half  of  wheat  through  each  grain  drill  tooth  in  a  day. 
Roughly  speaking,  there  are  600  handfuls  or  a  million  ker- 
nels of  wheat  in  a  bushel.*  This  amount  wasted  in  ten 
hours  indicates  that  a  handful  or  1700  kernels  is  being 
wasted  every  minute.  If  farmers  realized  the  economy  of 
finishing  a  job  as  quickly  as  possible,  irrespective  of  the 


•In  the  "Thresher  World"  contest  of  August,  1903,  the  bushel 
of  wheat  was  actually  counted  and  found  to  contain  869,762  ker- 
nels. In  the  "Canadian  Thresherman"  contest  of  1908,  fifteen 
pounds  of  No.  1  Northern  wheat  were  found  to  contain  257,885  ker- 
nels, or  at  the  rate  of  1,031,540  kernels  per  bushel.  In  the  1909 
"Canadian  Thresherman"  contest  the  No.  2  Northern  wheat  counted 
showed  the  number  of  kernels  per  bushel  to  be  1,003,089. 


THE  CLEANING  APPARATUS 

grain  lost,  they  would  not  attach  so  much  importance  to 
the  small  amount  ordinarily  wasted. 

However,  it  is  true  that  any  separator  will  waste  con- 
siderable grain  if  improperly  operated.  When  there  is 
reason  to  believe  that  a  machine  is  wasting  more  than  it 
should,  first  determine  whether  the  grain  is  being  carried 
over  in  the  chaff  or  in  the  straw. 

//  the  Waste  be  at  the  Shoe,  catch  some  of  the  chaff 
from  the  conveyor  sieve  and  if  grain  be  found,  see  that  the 
sieve  is  properly  adjusted  for  the  kind  of  grain  being 
threshed.  If  a  common  sieve  be  used,  it  should  be  coarse 
enough  for  the  grain  and  its  lips  should  be  sufficiently  bent 
open.  Too  high  a  speed  will  cause  grain  to  be  carried  over 
the  conveyor  sieve.  Do  not  use  any  more  concave  teeth 
than  are  necessary  as  the  extra  amount  of  chaff  makes 
difficult  work  for  the  sieves.  See  that  the  blinds  are  ad- 
justed so  that  the  blast  is  no  stronger  than  is  necessary  to 
clean  the  grain  and  keep  the  sieves  working  freely.  If 
grain  be  still  detected,  open  the  adjustable  conveyor  sieve 
a  little  more.  It  should  not  be  opened  so  much,  however, 
as  to  overload  the  shoe  sieve.  The  wind-board  should 
throw  the  strongest  blast  about  half  way  back  on  the  con- 
veyor sieve.  Carrying  "traps"  in  the  fan  drum  is  liable 
to  bend  down  this  board  which  in  some  cases  becomes  so 
sagged  that  some  kernels  slide  over  it  into  the  fan,  are 
struck  by  the  fan  wings  and  thrown  entirely  out  of  the 
machin<v 


l8o  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

//  waste  be  caused  by  failure  to  separate  the  grain  from 
the  straw,  first  see  that  the  speed  of  the  crank  is  230.  The 
cause  may  be  poor  feeding  which  produces  "slugging1"  of 
the  cylinder  and  the  resultant  variable  motion.  See  that 
the  check -board  is  properly  adjusted.  The  cylinder  and 
concave  teeth  must  be  kept  in  good  order  so  that  the  grain 
will  all  be  threshed  from  the  heads  and  the  straw  cut  up 
as  little  as  possible.  When  heads  missed  by  the  cylinder 
are  threshed  out  by  the  wind  stacker  fan  the  machine  is 
often  criticised  for  poor  separation  when  the  trouble  is  ac- 
tually caused  by  a  neglected  cylinder  and  concaves. 

Why  it  is  difficult  to  separate  grain  from  straw.  Straw 
and  grain  to  the  full  capacity  of  the  cylinder  pass  through 
the  concave  teeth  at  the  rate  of  about  one  mile  (5280  feet) 
per  minute,  and  after  passing  the  check-board  the  straw 
rack  moves  the  straw  about  102  feet  per  minute.  At  these 
speeds  the  straw  passes  the  length  of  the  machine  (about 
15  feet)  in  approximately  ten  seconds.  The  intermingled 
straw  and  grain  move  in  the  same  direction  and  at  the 
same  rate  of  speed.  The  problem  of  separation  is,  then, 
to  check  and  divert  the  course  of  the  grain,  at  the  same  time 
allowing  the  straw  to  continue  its  passage  through  the  ma- 
chine. If  the  grain  be  not  interrupted  in  its  course,  it  will 
pass  out  with  the  straw,  while  clogging  will  result  if  the 
movement  of  the  straw  be  arrested  for  even  a  second. 


CHAPTER  V 

THRESHING  WITH  A  REGULARLY  EQUIPPED 
SEPARATOR 

THIS  chapter  will  deal  with  the  threshing  of  those 
grains  and  seeds  which  may  be  successfully  handled 
by  a  regularly  equipped  separator.     It  will  include 
the  threshing  of  wheat,  rye,  oats,  barley,  flax,  buckwheat, 
millet  and  speltz  or  emmer.     Those  grains  and  seeds  which 
cannot  be  threshed  successfully  without  special  attach- 
ments, or  additions  to  a  regularly  equipped  separator,  will 
be  treated  separately  in  the  following  chapter. 

Headed  Grain.  The  bulk  of  the  grain  grown  at  the 
present  time  is  cut  by  harvesters  and  is  delivered  to  the 
threshing  machine  in  bundles.  There  are  localities,  how- 
ever, in  which  all,  or  nearly  all,  the  grain  is  cut  by  headers 
and  delivered  to  the  separator  loose.  Bound  grain  is  sup- 
posed to  be  fed  to  the  cylinder,  "heads  first,"  and  when  so 
fed,  the  work  of  the  cylinder  is  made  easy  as  the  straw 
holds  the  heads  while  the  grain  is  being  knocked  out  of 
them.  This  cannot  be  the  case  with  headed  grain,  as  usu- 
ally but  little  straw  is  left  on  the  heads,  because,  to  keep 
the  bulk  small,  the  header  is  run  just  low  enough  to  get 
the  heads.  Other  things  being  equal,  headed  grain  is, 

181 


l82  SCIENCE  OF  SUCCESSFUL  THRESHING 

then,  harder  to  knock  out  of  the  heads  than  bound  grain, 
but  no  trouble  is  experienced  with  the  "Case"  separator  in 
headings,  if  the  cylinder  and  concaves  be  in  good  condition. 
Most  of  the  grain  raised  on  the  Pacific  coast  is  headed,  and 
a  special  feeder,  known  as  the  "Spokane  Feeder,"  is  used, 
usually  in  connection  with  derrick- forks.  In  the  more 
eastern  headed  grain  districts,  the  mounted  feeder  carrier 
is  used  as  an  extension  to  the  regular  bundle  feeder. 

Threshing  Wheat.  Ordinarily,  it  is  not  difficult  to  do 
good  work  in  threshing  wheat  with  a  separator  which  is  in 
good  condition.  To  get  the  best  results,  the  cylinder,  es- 
pecially, should  be  in  good  repair  and  it  should  maintain  a 
uniform  speed.  The  speed  should  be  fully  up  to  the  regu- 
lation, 750  revolutions  for  the  twenty-bar  cylinder  or  1075 
revolutions  for  the  twelve-bar  cylinder.  Usually  the  ordi- 
nary varieties  of  wheat  can  be  threshed  with  four  rows  of 
concave  teeth.  Before  concluding  that  more  are  required, 
see  that  the  teeth  are  in  good  condition,  and  that  the  cylin- 
der fully  maintains  the  given  speed.  It  is  generally  ad- 
mitted that  four  rows  of  concave  teeth  are  more  effective 
if  a  blank  concave  be  placed  between  the  filled  concaves, 
and  that  the  straw  is  less  cut  up  if  the  filled  concaves  be 
placed  together,  but  some  good  operators  do  not  agree  with 
the  former  statement.  However,  with  this  in  mind,  it  will 
not  be  difficult  for  an  operator  to  determine  which  arrange- 
ment is  best  suited  to  the  particular  conditions  under  which 
his  machine  is  at  work.  Good  operators  judge  by  the 


THRESHING  WITH  REGULARLY  EQUIPPED  SEPARATOR     183 

work  the  machine  is  doing,  what  changes  in  the  adjustment 
or  arrangement  of  concaves  or  in  the  speed,  will  improve 
the  work.  For  example,  if  the  wheat  be  thoroughly 
knocked  out  of  the  heads  and  there  be  an  excessive  amount 
of  chaff  and  chopped  straw,  it  would  be  well  to  see  if  the 
kernels  could  still  be  threshed  clean  from  the  straw  if  the 
concaves  were  lowered  a  notch  or  two,  or  perhaps  one  filled 
concave  replaced  by  a  blank  or  else  the  speed  lowered 
slightly.  If  any  of  these  changes  were  made,  the  work  of 
the  machine  as  a  whole  would  be  improved,  for  separation 
and  cleaning  are  made  easier  by  reducing  the  amount  of 
chopped  straw. 

With  certain  conditions  of  the  straw,  in  which  the 
heads  are  easily  broken  off,  it  may  be  best  to  use  a  cast  con- 
cave in  place  of  the  wrought  grate,  if  the  first  concave 
breaks  off  the  heads  and  they  fall  through  the  grate  blank 
before  the  second  concave  can  get  action  on  them.  If 
whole  heads  are  found  passing  over  the  conveyor  try  an 
unfilled  concave  in  place  of  the  wrought  blank. 

The  adjustable-chaffer,  chaffer-extension  and  shoe- 
sieve  can  be  best  adjusted  while  the  machine  is  running, 
the  operator  noting  how  much  chaff  each  is  handling,  how 
the  wheat  is  cleaned  and  the  amount  of  tailing  being  re- 
turned, as  explained  in  Chapter  IV.  The  adjustable  shoe- 
sieve  should  be  placed  at,  or  very  near,  the  top,  at  the  fan 
end  and  in  the  fourth  hole  from  the  top  at  the  rear  end. 

When  the  separator  is  equipped  with  common  sieves, 


184  SCIENCE    OF    SUCCESSFUL    THRESHING 

the  two-inch  lip  sieve,  D,  should  be  used  as  a  chaffer.  Or- 
dinarily, the  three-eighths  inch  lip  sieve,  G,  will  do  nice 
work  as  a  shoe  sieve,  and  it  will  remain  clean  with  little  or 
no  attention.  It  should  be  placed  in  the  second  notch  at 
the  fan  end  and  third  hole  at  the  rear, — from  the  top  in 
both  cases.  When  "  white-caps,"  (as  kernels  with  chaff 
adhering  to  them  are  called)  are  numerous,  the  fifteen- 
sixty-fourths  inch  round-hole  sieve,  H,  is  the  best  for  re- 
moving them.  It  should  be  placed  in  the  second  notch  and 
third  or  fourth  hole.  Sometimes  these  two  sieves  are  used 
together,  in  which  case  the  former  sieve,  G,  should  be 
placed  in  the  first  notch  and  third  hole  and  the  latter,  H,  in 
the  fifth  or  sixth  notch  and  the  fifth  hole. 

For  a  cheat  screen,  either  the  one-fourteenth  by  one- 
half  inch  oblong  hole,  L,  (regular),  or  the  one-sixteenth 
by  three-eighths  inch,  K,  is  suitable,  depending  upon  the 
size  of  the  kernels  of  wheat.  For  cockle,  the  five-thirty- 
seconds  inch  round  hole  screen,  I,  is  the  right  size. 

Turkey  Wheat.  Some  varieties  of  wheat,  such  as  the 
"Turkey,"  which  is  raised  extensively  in  Oklahoma,  is  very 
difficult  to  knock  out  of  the  heads  and  often  six  rows  of 
concave  teeth  will  not  thresh  it  clean  from  the  straw.  In 
this  case,  one  or  more  three-row  concaves  of  corrugated 
teeth  are  necessary.  For  such  grain,  the  cylinder  speed 
should  be  kept  fully  up  to  the  stated  number  of  revolutions 
or  even  higher,  in  which  case  pulley  5582T  should  be  used 
as  explained  for  barley. 


THRESHING  WITH  REGULARLY  EQUIPPED  SEPARATOR    185 

Threshing  Rye.  Rye  is  more  easily  knocked  out  of  the 
heads  than  wheat,  and  usually  two  rows  of  concave  teeth 
are  sufficient.  When  damp,  the  straw  is  tough  and  as  it 
is  long,  it  tends  to  wrap  on  the  cylinder  and  beater.  To 
prevent  this,  the  cylinder  should  be  run  at  a  high  speed — 
say  800  for  the  twenty-bar  or  1150  for  the  twelve-bar. 
Tough  rye  straw  is  more  liable  to  wrap  if  bruised  by  the 
cylinder,  and  therefore,  in  threshing  damp  rye,  it  is  best 
to  use  not  more  than  two  rows  of  concave  teeth  and  often 
these  may  be  left  quite  low,  as  the  high  cylinder  speed  sug- 
gested above  will  ordinarily  insure  threshing  it  clean  from 
the  straw.  The  writer  has  seen  a  separator  (not  a 
"Case"),  which  could  not  handle  damp  rye  with  the  usual 
concave  teeth,  because  of  wrapping,  do  very  fair  work 
when  all  the  concave  teeth  were  removed  and  a  high  cylin- 
der speed  depended  upon  for  knocking  the  kernels  from  the 
straw.  It  is  a  common  mistake  to  use  too  many  concave 
teeth  in  threshing  rye.  This  is  especially  true  if  the  en- 
gine be  small.  Unless  the  straw  be  badly  chopped  up,  this 
grain  is  easily  separated  and  cleaned.  The  same  sieves 
should  be  used  as  in  threshing  wheat,  except  that  the 
round-hole  sieve,  H,  for  removing  the  white-caps  from 
wheat  is  not  necessary  for  rye. 

Threshing  Oats.  Oats,  when  dry,  are  best  threshed 
with  two  rows  of  concave  teeth  and,  especially  if  the  straw 
be  short,  with  a  cylinder  speed  somewhat  lower  than  is 
required  for  wheat.  When  they  are  in  this  condition,  it  is 


l86  SCIENCE   OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

easy  to  thresh  them  very  fast  and  a  machine  of  medium 
size  often  turns  out  as  much  as  six  or  seven  hundred 
bushels  per  hour.  When  damp,  however,  oat-straw  is  very 
tough  and  requires  a  speed  of  fully  750  for  the  twenty-bar 
or  1075  for  the  twelve-bar  cylinder.  The  adjustable-chaf- 
fer and  shoe-sieve  should  be  opened  more  than  for  wheat. 
If  the  separator  be  equipped  with  common  sieves,  the  two- 
inch  lip-sieve,  D,  should  be  used  as  a  chaffer  and  the  three- 
quarter  inch  lip-sieve,  F,  placed  in  the  second  notch  and 
third  hole  in  the  shoe.  If  this  sieve  be  found  too  fine,  as 
is  occasionally  the  case  with  large  oats,  and  in  fast  thresh- 
ing, the  one  and  one-quarter  inch  lip-sieve,  E,  may  be 
used  in  the  shoe.  Any  of  the  screens  mentioned  for  wheat 
are  suitable  for  oats.  Since  a  bushel  of  oats  weighs  only 
a  little  more  than  half  as  much  as  a  bushel  of  wheat,  less 
wind  must  be  used  in  cleaning.  Oats  that  are  poorly 
filled,  and  consequently  very  light,  cannot  be  well  cleaned 
without  blowing  over  some  apparently  good  kernels.  Upon 
close  examination,  however,  it  will  be  found  that  very 
few  of  these  are  more  than  hulls,  which  contain  nothing. 

Threshing  Barley.  In  certain  localities,  sometimes 
barley  is  in  such  condition  that  it  is  easily  threshed.  At 
other  times,  however,  the  "beards"  are  tough  and  difficult 
to  knock  off  from  the  kernels.  To  successfully  handle 
such  grain,  the  cylinder  and  concave-teeth  should  be  in 
excellent  order.  Any  teeth  that  are  badly  worn  should  be 
replaced  by  new  ones.  Six  rows  of  concave-teeth  may  be 


THRESHING  WITH  REGULARLY  EQUIPPED  SEPARATOR  187 

required  and  the  cylinder-speed  should  be  kept  up  to  fully 
750  revolutions  for  the  twenty-bar  and  1075  for  the  twelve- 
bar  cylinder  separators.  As  with  Turkey  wheat,  three  row 
concaves,  either  with  plain  or  corrugated  teeth,  may  be 
used ;  or  a  better  plan  is  to  increase  the  cylinder  speed  to 
820  r.  p.  m.  To  do  this,  it  is  necessary  to  use  pulley  No. 
5582T,  6  inches  face,  7^4  inches  diameter,  20  bar.  This 
pulley  is  needed  so  as  to  have  the  beater,  crank-shaft  and 
fan  run  at  their  normal  speed.  In  using  these  means  to 
remove  the  beards,  the  straw,  being  brittle,  is  apt  to  be 
cut  up  badly  and,  therefore,  gives  the  cleaning  apparatus 
a  great  amount  of  chaff  to  handle. 

The  adjustable  sieves  should  be  set  as  in  threshing 
wheat.  By  having  the  front  end  of  the  shoe-sieve  high 
and  the  rear  end  low,  the  kernels  with  beards  adhering  to 
them  will  be  carried  to  the  tailings  elevator  and  returned 
to  the  cylinder.  Another  advantage  of  placing  the  sieve  in 
this  position  lies  in  the  fact  that  when  so  placed,  it  lies 
across  the  path  of  the  blast,  and  the  wind  is  forced  through 
it.  The  chaff  is  thus  easily  lifted  off  and  the  sieve  is 
enabled  to  properly  handle  the  large  amount  of  chaff  that 
comes  to  it  in  barley  threshing.  With  brittle  barley  straw, 
the  regular  straw-rack  sometimes  shakes  too  much  straw 
through  to  the  conveyor.  In  this  case,  as  in  threshing 
"headings,"  the  straw-rack  should  be  converted  into  the 
Oregon  style,  mentioned  heretofore.  When  the  separator 
is  fitted  with  common  sieves,  the  two-inch  lip,  D,  or  the  one 


l88  SCIENCE   OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

and  one-quarter-inch  lip,  E,  should  be  used  as  a  chaffer 
and  the  three-eighths-inch  lip-sieve,  G,  in  the  second  notch 
and  fourth  hole  as  a  shoe-sieve.  Any  of  the  screens  men- 
tioned for  wheat  are  suitable  for  barley. 

Threshing  Flax.  The  thresherman  should  devote 
some  study  to  the  peculiarities  of  flax  if  he  wishes  to  do 
a  nice  job  of  threshing.  Operators  of  some  makes  of 
separators  have  great  difficulty  in  threshing  flax  on  ac- 
count of  the  straw  being  composed  of  tow  or  tough  fibres, 
and  therefore  having  great  tendency  to  wind  on  every 
revolving  thing  it  encounters.  The  "Case"  separator, 
having  no  rotary  parts  on  which  flax  straw  can  wind,  has 
always  had  an  advantage  in  this  respect.  Flax  is  usually 
unbound,  and  on  separators  equipped  with  feeders,  the 
pitchers  are  apt  to  throw  it  upon  the  feeder-carrier  in  large 
forkfuls.  The  straw,  on  the  contrary,  should  be  fed  even- 
ly to  the  cylinder,  for  if  allowed  to  pass  into  the  machine 
in  large  bunches,  it  is  liable  to  "slug"  the  motion  down 
and  prevent  all  parts  of  the  separator  from  doing  good 
work.  When  green  or  damp,  it  requires  close  work  on 
the  part  of  the  cylinder  and  concave  teeth  to  get  the  seed 
out  of  the  bolls.  Usually  six  rows  of  concave  teeth  are 
required,  and  the  speed  must  be  kept  fully  up  to  the  750 
for  the  twenty-bar  or  1075  f°r  tne  twelve-bar,  but  when 
dry  and  in  good  condition,  it  is  best  to  run  the  cylinder  at 
a  little  less  than  its  normal  speed  to  favor  the  shoe.  Some 
very  good  samples  of  cleaned  flax  have  been  taken  from 


THRESHING  WITH  REGULARLY  EQUIPPED  SEPARATOR  189 

separators,  fitted  only  with  the  adjustable  sieves.  Usually, 
however,  it  is  necessary  to  place  a  sieve  underneath  the 
adjustable  shoe-sieve  to  do  first-class  cleaning-.  The  ad- 
justable sieve  should  be  placed  as  high  as  possible  at  both 
ends  in  the  shoe.  For  a  lower  sieve,  the  five-thirty-sec- 
onds-inch round  hole  sieve,  I,  is  the  correct  size.  It  should 
be  placed  in  the  seventh  notch  at  the  fan  end  and  the  fourth 
hole  in  the  rear.  This  sieve  should  also  be  used  in  the 
same  position  in  the  shoe  of  machines  fitted  with  common 
sieves.  For  an  upper  sieve,  either  of  the  wheat  sieves  may 
be  used,  but  the  three-eighths-inch  lip  sieve,  G,  is  prefer- 
able to  the  fifteen-sixty-fourths-inch  round  hole  sieve,  H. 
For  a  chaffer,  the  three-quarter-inch  lip-sieve,  F,  works 
the  best  of  the  common  sieves.  More  wind  can  be  used 
with  two  sieves  in  the  shoe  than  with  one. 

Any  of  the  smaller  round  hole  sieves  may  be  used  as 
a  screen,  the  particular  one  being  determined  by  the  kind 
of  weed  seed  to  be  removed  and  other  local  conditions. 
Usually  the  three-thirty-second-inch  round  hole,  N,  is 
suitable. 

Threshing  Buckwheat.  This  grain  is  easily  knocked 
off  the  straw  and  even  one  row  of  concave  teeth  is  seldom 
necessary.  In  most  cases  it  will  be  found  advisable  to  sub- 
stitute a  hard  wood  board  for  each  concave.  The  grain 
in  being  thrown  by  the  cylinder  from  one  board  to  another 
is  generally  well  knocked  loose  without  breaking  either 
grain  or  straw  to  any  extent.  Buckwheat  straw  is  brittle 


SCIENCE   OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

and  it  is  well  to  bear  in  mind  that  as  with  other  grains, 
the  work  of  separation  and  cleaning  is  easier  when  the 
work  of  the  cylinder  is  not  overdone.  The  speed  should 
be  low  to  prevent  cracking  the  grain.  The  sieves  should  be 
set  the  same  as  for  wheat.  In  localities  in  which  sufficient 
buckwheat  is  grown  to  keep  a  separator  threshing  for 
several  days  at  a  time,  excellent  results  can  be  obtained 
by  changing  the  pulleys  on  the  cylinder-shaft  as  is  done  for 
threshing  rice,  thus  making  a  low  cylinder  speed  possible, 
while  the  balance  of  the  machine  maintains  its  normal 
motion. 

Threshing  Millet.  This  is  the  most  easily  threshed 
of  the  ordinary  seeds.  Usually  the  normal  cylinder  speed 
and  four  rows  of  concave-teeth  are  sufficient  to  knock  out 
the  seed.  The  adjustable-sieves  will  ordinarily  clean  it 
sufficiently.  If  the  separator  be  fitted  with  common  sieves, 
the  three-quarter-inch  lip  sieve,  F,  should  be  used  as  a 
chaffer,  and  either  the  three-eighths-inch  lip  sieve,  G,  or 
the  fifteen-sixty-fourths-inch  round-hole  sieve,  H,  used 
in  the  second  notch  and  third  hole  in  the  shoe.  When  a 
lower  sieve  is  desired  with  either  the  adjustable  or  com- 
mon sieves,  the  one-eighth-inch  round-hole  sieve,  O,  or 
the  five-thirty-seconds-inch  round-hole  sieve,  I,  is  suitable. 
Either  should  be  placed  in  the  seventh  notch  and  fifth  hole. 

Threshing  Spelts  or  Emmer.  This  grain  is  easily 
threshed  and  if  the  directions  for  threshing  oats  be  fol- 
lowed, no  difficulty  will  be  experienced. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THRESHING  WITH  A  SPECIALLY  EQUIPPED 
SEPARATOR. 

THIS  chapter  will  deal  with  those  crops,  the  thresh- 
ing of  which  requires  a  change  in,  or  an  addition 
to,  a  regularly  equipped  separator.    It  will  include 
the  threshing  of  peas,  beans,  rice,  clover,  alfalfa,  timothy, 
orchard-grass,  brome  grass,   red-top  grass,   Kafir  corn, 
Indian  corn  and  peanuts. 

Threshing  Peas.  To  prevent  cracking  the  peas,  it  is 
necessary  to  run  the  cylinder  at  a  very  much  lower  speed 
than  is  required  for  threshing  grain.  To  obtain  the  best 
results,  the  twelve-bar  cylinder  should  ordinarily  be  run 
at  from  400  to  450  revolutions  per  minute,  but  when  the 
peas  are  thoroughly  ripened  and  dry,  a  lower  speed  will 
be  better,  300  revolutions  being  sufficient,  at  times.  Or- 
dinarily the  twenty-bar  cylinder  should  be  run  290  revo- 
lutions per  minute,  but  this  speed  may  also  be  reduced  to 
nearly  200  revolutions  when  the  condition  of  the  pods 
permit.  To  secure  this  low  cylinder  speed  and  retain  the 
normal  motion  of  the  other  parts  of  the  machine  and  to 
some  extent  of  the  engine,  it  is  necessary  to  change  the 
pulleys  on  the  cylinder  shaft. 

The  number  of  concave  rows  may  be  two,  four  or  six, 

191 


192  SCIENCE   OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

as  the  condition  requires.  The  cylinder  must  be  run  at  a 
certain  slow  speed  as  already  stated,  and  when  so  speeded, 
more  concave  teeth  are  required  than  if  it  were  allowed  to 
run  faster.  However,  since  the  cylinder  speed  must  be 
low,  a  sufficient  number  of  concave  teeth  should  be  used  to 
knock  the  peas  out  of  the  pods.  For  "blanks,"  when  less 
than  six  rows  of  concave  teeth  are  used,  hardwood  boards 
cut  to  the  right  length  and  width  and  fitted  to  the  concave- 
circles  are  preferable  to  the  regular  iron-blanks.  Since 
peas  are  apt  to  be  cracked  by  the  corners  of  the  iron  blank- 
concaves  or  grates,  the  ones  under  the  beater  are  some- 
times covered  with  sheet-iron.  This  should  be  done  where 
trouble  from  cracking  is  experienced.  The  kind  known  as 
"cow  peas"  or  "stock  peas,"  a  speckled  or  mottled  variety 
belonging  to  the  bean  family,  are  easily  cracked. 

In  general,  the  adjustable  chaffer  and  shoe  sieve  should 
be  set  only  slightly  more  open  for  the  common  field  peas  or 
for  stock-peas  than  for  wheat.  The  adjustable  exten- 
sion, however,  should  be  open  enough  to  allow  unthreshed 
pods  to  pass  through  it  and  be  returned  to  the  cylinder  by 
the  tailing  elevator.  If  the  separator  be  fitted  with  com- 
mon-sieves, the  one  and  one-quarter-inch  lip,  E,  or  the  two- 
inch  lip,  D,  should  be  used  as  a  chaffer,  and  the  three- 
eighths-inch  lip,  G,  should  be  placed  in  the  second  notch 
and  third  hole  in  the  shoe. 

For  a  screen,  the  one-sixth  by  three-fourths-inch  woven 
wire,  W,  or  the  three-sixteenths  by  three-quarter-inch  ob- 
long hole,  P,  is  best,  although  the  fifteen-sixty-fourths 


THRESHING  WITH  SPECIALLY  EQUIPPED  SEPARATOR  1 93 

round-hole  wheat  sieve,  H,  works  very  well  in  "Whip- 
poor-will"  stock-peas. 

If  trouble  be  experienced  because  the  peas  strike  the 
floor  of  the  shoe  and  bound  over  into  the  fan,  it  can  be 
prevented  by  covering  the  front  part  of  the  chaffer  to  a  dis- 
tance of  twelve  or  fourteen  inches  with  sheet-iron.  If 
there  be  much  sand  or  dirt  to  be  screened  out,  applying 
the  same  remedy  will  cause  the  peas  to  be  dropped  farther 
rearward  and  allow  the  dirt  more  chance  to  get  through 
the  screen.  Returning  peas  to  the  cylinder  with  the  tailings 
is  apt  to  crack  them,  and,  therefore,  the  cleaned  peas  will 
contain  fewer  split  ones  if  the  tailings  be  kept  separate. 
This  may  be  done  by  opening  the  bottom  of  the  tailings- 
elevator  and  allowing  them  to  run  on  the  ground  or  on  a 
canvas.  Afterwards  they  may  be  run  through  the  ma- 
chine while  "cleaning  up." 

Threshing  Beans.  All  that  has  been  said  above,  in 
regard  to  threshing  peas,  applies  equally  well  to  threshing 
the  ordinary  white  navy  beans,  and  also  the  larger  varie- 
ties, except,  that  for  the  latter,  if  common  sieves  be  used, 
the  three-quarter-inch  lip,  F,  should  be  used  in  place  of 
the  three-eighths-inch  lip  sieve,  G,  in  the  shoe. 

Threshing  Soy  Beans.  Soy  (or  soja)  beans  are  diffi- 
cult to  knock  out  of  the  pods,  and  are  so  hard  that  they 
are  not  easily  cracked.  Therefore,  they  can  best  be 
threshed  with  a  separator  adjusted  and  speeded  as  for 
wheat.  Soy  beans  sometimes  grow  quite  rank,  often  yield- 
ing from  25  to  40  bushels  of  seed  and  12  or  13  tons  of  fod- 

13 


IQ4  SCIENCE   OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

der  to  the  acre.  For  this  reason,  the  twenty-eight  by  forty- 
six  and  larger  sizes  of  separators  are  more  suitable  than 
the  smaller  ones. 

Special  Cylinders  for  Peas  and  Beans.  There  are  local- 
ities in  which  a  separator  may  be  kept  constantly  threshing 
peas  or  beans  for  several  days  or  even  weeks  at  a  time. 
For  such  machines,  it  is  often  advisable  to  obtain  a  special 
cylinder  with  the  teeth  spaced  for  this  work.  When  so 
equipped,  a  "Case"  separator  will  do  better  work  than  it 
would  do  with  the  regular  cylinder.  In  fact,  its  work  is 
then  equal  to  that  of  the  machines  designed  especially  for 
hulling  beans,  while  its  capacity  is  much  greater.  In 
changing  to  the  special  cylinder,  it  is  necessary  to  procure 
the  special  concaves  and  concave-circles,  as  well  as  the 
cylinder. 

FOR   PEA  AND   BEAN   12-BAR   SEPARATORS    (BELT): 

6063T  Main  Cylinder  Pulley,  18"  dia.  (regular  pulley  may  remain 
on),  runs  cylinder  425  r.  p.  m.  when  36"  engine  fly-wheel 
makes  213. 

5066T  (6"  face)  or  5067T  (4"  face)  Cylinder  Pulley  drives  beater 
and  crank,  15"  dia.  (remove  tightener),  runs  crank  about 
normal  spe'ed,  230  r.  p.  m.  with  cylinder  speed  of  425. 

B5068T  Cylinder  Pulley  drives  feeder,  17"  dia.,  runs  feeder-crank 
258  r.  p.  m.  with  cylinder  speed  of  425. 

A5065T  Cylinder  Pulley  drives  wind  stacker,  20"  dia.,  runs  jack- 
shaft  about  687  r.  p.  m.  with  cylinder  speed  of  425.  (Nor- 
mal, 760.)  For  lower  cylinder  speed  or  faster  stacker 
speeds,  use  pulleys  A303H  or  B303H  on  jack  shaft. 

FOR  PEA  AND  BEAN  12-BAR  SEPARATORS  (GEARED)  : 

5071T  Bevel  Gear  (47  teeth)  and  Cylinder  Pinion  A5072T  (Steel), 
or  5072T  (Wood)  (25  teeth),  run  cylinder  about  425  r.  p. 
m.  with  the  normal  tumbling-rod  speed  of  227  r.  p.  m. 
For  lower  cylinder  speed,  larger  spur-plnlons  may  be 
used  on  the  horse-power.  No  special  gears  are  made  for 
20-bar  separators.  Pulleys,  except  5063T,  same  as  for 
Belt  separators  for  Peas  and  Beans. 

FOR   PEA  AND  BEAN  20-BAR   SEPARATORS    (BELT): 

5372T  Main  Cylinder  Pulley,  26"  dia.,  runs  cylinder  290  r.  p.  m. 
when  40"  engine  ny-wheel  makes  about  190. 


THRESHING  WITH  SPECIALLY  EQUIPPED  SEPARATOR  1 95 

5373T  Cylinder  Pulley  drives  beater  and  crank,  22"  dia.  (remove 
tightener),  runs  crank  normal  speed,  230  r.  p.  m.,  with 
cylinder  speed  of  about  290. 

6374T  Cylinder  Pulley  drives  feeder,  25"  dia.,  runs  feeder-crank 
normal  speed,  258  r.  p.  m.,  with  cylinder  speBd  of  290. 

A302H  Cylinder  Pulley  drives  wind  stacker,  22"  dia.,  and  1  pc. 
A303H  or  B303H  Wind  Stacker  Pulley,  8%"  dia.,  run 
jack-shaft  normal  speed,  750  r.  p.  m.,  with  cylinder  speed 
of  290. 

Threshing  Rice.  This  grain  is  difficult  to  thresh  clean 
from  the  heads  without  cracking  or  hulling  the  kernels. 
Owing  to  the  fact  that  the  rice  when  it  reaches  the  mill  is 
screened  before  it  is  hulled,  any  kernels  hulled  in  threshing, 
are  taken  out  in  the  screening  and  are  therefore  as  ob- 
jectionable as  the  broken  rice  which  is  sold  as  "grits"  at 
an  inferior  price.  The  teeth  in  a  regular  cylinder  are 
spaced  too  closely  for  ordinary  rice  threshing,  although 
good  work  is  sometimes  done  when  the  teeth  have  become 
somewhat  worn  and  are  consequently  thinner  than  when 
new.  The  "Case"  rice  thresher  has  the  proper  spacing  of 
teeth  to  thresh  this  grain  out  of  the  heads  without  crack- 
ing more  than  a  small  percentage.  What  is  said  in  Chapter 
II  in  regard  to  the  proper  endwise  adjustment  of  the 
cylinder  and  the  necessity  of  keeping  the  teeth  straight 
applies  particularly  well  to  rice  threshing.  In  reading 
that  chapter  with  reference  to  rice,  however,  it  should  be 
borne  in  mind  that  a  difference  exists,  from  the  fact  that 
the  space  between  the  concave  and  cylinder  teeth  is  about 
three-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  the  rice  machine  instead  of 
about  an  eighth  of  an  inch,  as  it  is  in  the  regular.  When 
the  rice  is  in  good  condition,  the  amount  hulled  and  broken 
should  not  exceed  five  per  cent.,  but  when  the  grain  is 


196  SCIENCE   OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

"sun-cracked,"  the  percentage  may  be  somewhat  larger. 
The  condition  of  the  grain  will  determine  the  number  and 
position  of  the  concave  teeth,  two,  four  or  six  rows  being 
used  as  required. 

Besides  requiring  a  special  spacing  of  the  cylinder  and 
concave  teeth,  the  cylinder  speed  must  be  lower  for  rice 
than  for  ordinary  grain.  The  twelve-bar  cylinder-speed 
for  rice  should  be  900  revolutions  per  minute  and  in  order 
to  give  the  proper  speed  to  the  other  parts  of  the  separator, 
it  is  necessary  to  have  special  pulleys  on  the  cylinder  shaft. 
These  are  larger  than  the  regular  pulleys  and  allow  the 
cylinder  to  run  at  the  desired  low  speed,  while  maintaining 
normal  speed  of  the  other  parts  of  the  separator.  In  the 
same  manner,  the  twenty-bar  cylinder  speed  for  rice  should 
be  from  575  to  600  revolutions,  and  to  obtain  this,  a  corre- 
sponding change  in  all  the  pulleys  on  the  cylinder  shaft 
must  be  made.  More  rice  is  apt  to  be  cracked  the  first  few 
days  a  new  separator  runs,  than  will  be  afterwards,  when 
the  cylinder  teeth  have  become  worn  smooth. 

Of  the  two  principal  varieties  of  rice — the  Japan  and 
the  Honduras — the  former  is  much  harder  to  knock  out  of 
the  head,  but  is  not  as  easily  cracked  as  is  the  latter.  The 
Golden  rice  of  the  Atlantic  Coast  States,  however,  is  much 
more  easily  cracked  than  either  of  the  above  varieties,  so 
that  more  care  is  required  in  threshing,  and  a  special 
feeder  is  often  used. 

For  rice  the  adjustable  chaffer  and  shoe-sieve  should  be 
set  in  the  same  position  and  with  about  the  same  opening 


THRESHING  WITH  SPECIALLY  EQUIPPED  SEPARATOR  197 

as  for  oats.  Rice  is  considerably  heavier,*  however,  and 
will  stand  the  extra  amount  of  wind  required  to  blow  out 
its  heavy  chaff.  When  common  sieves  are  used  the  chaffer 
should  be  the  two-inch  lip,  D.  The  three-quarter-inch  lip- 
sieve,  F,  placed  in  the  second  notch  and  third  hole  gives 
excellent  results  as  a  shoe-sieve.  For  a  screen,  the  one- 
fourteenth  by  one-half-inch  oblong-hole,  L,  is  best,  ordi- 
narily. When  the  rice  is  so  small  that  this  screen  lets  too 
much  through,  the  one-sixteenth  by  three-eighths-inch  ob- 
long-hole, K,  may  be  used. 

TOR  RICE  12-BAR  SEPARATORS   (BELT): 

5051T  Main  Cylinder  Pulley,  lO1^"  dia.,  runs  cylinder  900  r.  p.  m. 
when  36"  engine  fly-wheel  makes  256  r.  p.  m. 

1839T  Cylinder  Pulley  drives  beater  and  crank,  7"  dia.,  runs  crank 
225  r.  p.  m.  when  cylinder  makes  900  r.  p.  m.  (Normal 
speed  of  crank,  230  r.  p.  m.) 

5054T  Cylinder  pulley  drives  feeder,  6%"  dia.,  runs  feeder  crank 
217  r.  p.  m.  when  cylinder  makes  900  r.  p.  m.  (Normal, 
258  r.  p.  m.) 

A269H  Cylinder  pulley  drives  wind  stacker,  11"  dia.,  runs  jack- 
shaft  810  r.  p.  m.  when  cylinder  makes  900  r.  p.  m.  (Nor- 
mal, 790  r.  p.  m.) 

FOR  RICE  12-BAR  SEPARATORS  (GEARED) : 

A1449T  Bevel  Gear  (80  teeth)  and  A1450T  Cylinder  Pinion  (17 
teeth)  run  the  cylinder  950  r.  p.  m.  when  the  tumbling1 
rod  makes  202  r.  p.  m.  Pulleys  except  5051T  same  as  for 
Rice  12-bar  separators  (belt). 

FOR  RICE  20-BAR  SEPARATORS  (BELT)  : 

5369T  Main  cylinder  pulley,  16%"  dia.,  runs  cylinder  620  r.  p.  m. 
when  40"  engine  fly-wheel  makes  250  r.  p.  m. 

5371T  Cylinder  pulley  drives  beater  and  crank,  10"  dia.,  runs 
crank  222  r.  p.  m.  (Normal,  230  r.  p.  m.) 

5370T  Cylinder  pulley  drives  feeder,  11%"  dia.,  runs  feeder  crank 
256  r.  p.  m.  when  cylinder  makes  620  r.  p.  m.  (Normal. 
258  r.  p.  m.) 

A300H  Cylinder  pulley  drives  wind  stacker,  16"  dia.,  runs  jack 
shaft  810  r.  p.  m.  when  cylinder  makes  620  r.  p.  m.  (Nor- 
mal, 750  r.  p.  m.) 

FOR  RICE  20-BAR  SEPARATORS   (GEARED) : 

A5378T  Bevel  Gear  (76  teeth)  and  A5379T  Cylinder  Pinion  23 
teeth  (Steel):  or  5378T  Bevel  Gear  76  teeth  and  5379T 

•"The  commercial  standard  weight  of  'rough  rice'  is  45  pounds 
to  the  bushel.  The  product  is  usually  put  up  in  sacks  or  barrels 
of  162  pounds  each."  (Farmers'  Bulletin  No.  110,  U.  S.  Dept  of 
Agriculture. ) 


198  SCIENCE   OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

cylinder  pinion  24  teeth  (Wood)  run  the  cylinder  603  r. 
p.  ra.  when  the  tumbling  rod  makes  182  r.  p.  m.  Pulleys 
except  5369T  same  as  for  Rice  20-bar  separators  (belt). 

Hulling  Clover.  The  process  of  removing  clover  seed 
from  the  heads  or  tops  of  the  plant  is  usually  called  "hull- 
ing," instead  of  "threshing."  A  special  attachment  is  made 
for  "Case"  separators,  for  use  in  hulling  clover.  This 
attachment  consists  of  four  narrow  three-row  concaves 
filled  with  corrugated  teeth,  one  special  blank  concave  and 
special  sieves.  All  twelve  rows  of  teeth  should  be  used 
and  the  blank  placed  in  front.  If  the  seed  be  not  threshed 
clean  from  the  heads  at  the  regular  speed,  with  the  twelve 
rows  of  teeth  set  clear  up,  run  the  cylinder  a  little  faster, 
and  use  pulley  5582T  (for  2O-bar)  to  drive  beater,  crank 
and  fan  at  the  normal  speed. 

As  the  clover  is  chopped  very  fine,  the  work  can  often 
be  improved  by  adding  slats  to  the  straw  rack,  making 
it  similar  to  the  Oregon  rack. 

Clover  must  be  very  dry  to  be  well  threshed  by  any 
machine  and  when  threshing  from  the  field  is  usually  not 
in  condition  to  be  hulled  before  ten  or  eleven  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  or  until  the  effects  of  the  dew  have  entirely  dis- 
appeared. From  three  to  six  bushels  per  hour  is  fair  work 
.with  a  medium  size  separator  in  dry  clover  of  an  average 
yield.  A  clover  yield,  however,  is  an  extremely  variable 
quantity. 

Good  cleaning  has  been  done  with  the  adjustable-sieves 
alone,  but  ordinarily,  it  will  be  found  much  easier  to  clean 
the  seed  well  if  a  sieve  be  used  in  the  shoe  below  the 


THRESHING  WITH  SPECIALLY  EQUIPPED  SEPARATOR  1 99 

adjustable  one.  For  this  purpose,  the  three-thirty-seconds- 
inch  round-hole  sieve,  N,  or  the  twelve  by  twelve  mesh 
woven-wire-sieve,  R,  is  the  correct  size.  Either  should  be 
placed  in  the  seventh  notch  and  eighth  hole.  The  adjust- 
able shoe-sieve  should  be  placed  in  the  second  notch  and 
third  hole.  When  common  sieves  are  used,  the  three-quar- 
ter-inch lip,  F,  makes  a  suitable  chaffer,  and  the  three- 
eighths-inch  lip  sieve,  G,  is  the  best  as  an  upper  sieve  in 
the  shoe.  The  latter  should  be  placed  in  the  first  notch 
and  first  hole  and  the  lower  shoe-sieve  should  be  of  the 
same  size  and  placed  in  the  same  position  as  given  for 
adjustable-sieves.  It  is  possible  to  use  three  sieves  in  the 
shoe,  but  it  is  doubtful  whether  cleaner  seed  can  be  pro- 
duced with  three  than  with  two.  These  directions  for 
sieves  apply  to  all  the  common  varieties  of  clover,  such  as 
the  red,  alsike,  white,  etc.  For  extra  large  seed,  such  as 
that  of  the  German  or  crimson  variety,  a  coarser  sieve  (say 
the  three-thirty-seconds-inch  round  hole,  N),  may  be  sub- 
stituted for  Y.  For  the  Japan  variety,  the  one-eighth 
round  hole,  O,  may  be  used. 

In  localities  where  clover  seed  is  threshed  in  consider- 
able quantities,  the  "Case"  clover  recleaner  may  be  used 
and  it  will  thoroughly  clean  very  weedy  seed.  This  re- 
cleaner  is  attached  to  the  left  hand  side  of  the  separator 
just  back  of  the  grain  elevator.  It  is  driven  by  means 
of  a  special  double  pulley  on  the  separator  fan-shaft  with 
a  straight  belt. 

Threshing  Alfalfa  or  Lucerne.   The  same  rules  which 


2OO  SCIENCE   OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

govern  the  hulling  of  clover  apply  in  a  general  way  to 
the  threshing  of  alfalfa,  although  it  is  easier  to  rub  the 
latter  out  of  its  pods  than  the  former  out  of  its  heads.  The 
clover  concaves  are  sometimes  used,  but  oftener  one  or 
more  of  the  regular  three-row  concaves  filled  with  cor- 
rugated teeth  are  all  that  is  required.  The  sieves  may  be 
the  same  and  set  in  the  same  way  as  for  clover.  Often 
a  weed  known  as  dodder  or  love-vine,  grows  with  alfalfa 
and  its  seeds  are  usually  enough  smaller  than  the  alfalfa 
seed  to  allow  the  greater  part  of  them  to  be  removed  by 
screening.  The  screen  best  adapted  for  this  purpose  is  the 
one-twentieth-inch  round-hole,  X. 

Threshing  Timothy.  Although  this  seed  when  prop- 
erly ripened  and  cured,  is  not  hard  to  thresh,  it  is  often  in 
such  condition  as  to  render  it  very  difficult  for  the  separator 
to  handle.  It  is  often  cut  and  stacked  when  green  or  damp. 
When  in  this  condition,  the  bundles  are  very  solid  and  they 
must  be  properly  fed  or  the  cylinder  and  concave  teeth 
may  give  trouble.  The  speed,  too,  must  be  fully  up  to  the 
normal,  750  for  the  twenty-bar  or  1075  f°r  tne  twelve-bar 
cylinder.  Six  rows  of  concave-teeth  should  always  be 
used,  as  considerable  rubbing  is  necessary  to  loosen  the 
seed  from  the  heads.  When  the  seed  is  ripe  and  dry,  the 
cylinder  speed  may  be  lowered  considerably,  and  this 
should  be  done  whenever  possible,  as  a  low  speed  favors 
the  shoe  in  handling  this  small  and  rather  light  seed.  Often 
when  the  seed  is  well  ripened  and  allowed  to  stand  in  the 
field,  especially  if  in  shocks  that  are  not  capped,  it  will  be 


THRESHING  WITH  SPECIALLY  EQUIPPED  SEPARATOR  201 

badly  shelled  in  handling  so  that  the  amount  threshed  will 
be  considerably  less  than  the  actual  yield  would  be,  were 
it  possible  to  save  it  all. 

The  adjustable-sieves  should  be  set  well  closed  for  tim- 
othy and  a  lower  sieve  must  be  used  to  get  the  seed  clean. 
Either  the  one-sixteenth-inch  round-hole  sieve,  M,  or  the 
sixteen  by  sixteen-mesh  wire  sieve,  T,  are  suitable  for  tim- 
othy seed,  and  either  may  be  used  successfully,  if  placed  in 
the  seventh  notch  and  fourth  or  fifth  hole.  When  common- 
sieves  are  used,  the  three-quarter-inch  lip-sieve,  F,  will  be 
found  to  be  the  most  suitable  for  a  chaffer  and  the  three- 
eighth-inch  lip,  G,  is  an  excellent  upper  sieve  for  the  shoe. 

Threshing  Orchard-Grass.  In  threshing  this  grass, 
the  cylinder  should  be  run  at  its  regular  speed,  and  six  rows 
of  concave  teeth,  set  well  up,  should  be  used.  Good  work 
has  been  done  with  the  adjustable  sieves  alone,  but  as  a 
rule,  the  seed  can  be  cleaned  better  by  using  the  three- 
thirty-seconds  by  one-half-inch  oblong-hole  special  sieve, 
U,  underneath  the  adjustable  shoe-sieve.  It  should  be 
placed  in  the  seventh  or  eighth  notch  and  sixth  hole.  The 
adjustable  shoe-sieve  should  be  placed  in  the  second  notch 
and  third  hole.  If  common-sieves  be  used,  place  the  one 
and  one-quarter-inch  lip  sieve,  E,  in  the  conveyor.  Use 
the  three-quarter-inch  lip  sieve,  F,  as  an  upper  sieve  in  the 
shoe  placed  in  the  first  notch  and  third  hole.  Use  the  three- 
thirty-seconds  by  one-half-inch  special  orchard-grass  sieve, 
U,  below,  placing  it  in  the  same  position  as  when  used 
with  the  adjustable  one.  Since  the  seed  is  light,  but  little 


202  SCIENCE   OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

wind  is  required,  and  if  the  grass  be  reasonably  free  from 
weeds,  the  lower  blinds  may  be  entirely  closed  and  the 
upper  ones  opened  a  little. 

If  the  grass  be  damp  or  dirty,  slightly  open  the  lower 
ones  also.  From  twelve-hundred  to  fifteen-hundred  bushels 
of  orchard-grass  have  been  threshed  in  a  day  with  a  me- 
dium-sized machine. 

Threshing  Brome  Grass.  This  seed  can  be  successfully 
threshed  in  the  "Case"  machine,  although  it  is  consider- 
ably lighter  than  even  orchard  grass.  In  general,  the  direc- 
tions for  threshing  orchard-grass  should  be  followed,  but 
a  coarser  sieve  is  necessary.  The  one-sixth  by  three- 
fourths  mesh  wire,  W,  is  a  suitable  size.  It  will  be  found 
that  the  fan  blinds  must  be  kept  well  closed  in  some  cases, 
it  being  even  necessary  to  close  the  opening  more  than  is 
done  by  the  blinds,  as  for  red-top  grass. 

Threshing  Red-Top  Grass.  When  threshing  red-top 
grass  that  is  in  good  condition,  the  cylinder  speed  may  be 
considerably  below  normal,  and  one  filled  concave  (two 
rows)  usually  is  sufficient.  Should  the  grass  be  damp,  it 
may  be  necessary  to  use  more  than  two  rows  of  teeth  in 
the  concaves  and  to  run  the  cylinder  at  normal  speed,  1 175 
r.  p.  m.  for  12-bar  and  750  r.  p.  m.  for  2O-bar  separators. 

Special  attention  must  be  paid  to  the  cleaning  apparatus 
if  good  results  are  to  be  obtained.  Set  the  conveyor-sieve 
only  slightly  open,  and  the  conveyor-extension  open  enough 
to  save  what  unthreshed  seed  may  pass  over  the  conveyor 
sieve.  The  adjustable  shoe-sieve  should  be  set  in  first  notch 


THRESHING  WITH  SPECIALLY  EQUIPPED  SEPARATOR     2O3 

and  second  or  third  hole  and  adjusted  somewhat  finer  than 
the  conveyor-sieve.  To  do  good  work,  it  is  necessary  to 
use  as  a  lower  shoe-sieve,  the  twenty-four  by  twenty-four 
mesh  wire  one,  set  high  in  front,  next  to  fan,  and  low  at 
rear,  about  third  notch  and  fifth  or  sixth  hole.  In  most 
cases  the  fan-blinds  must  be  kept  closed  and  in  some 
cases  it  may  even  be  necessary  to  more  completely  close  the 
openings  by  fitting  thin  boards  or  other  like  material  to 
the  fan-blinds.  Should  the  sieves  become  overloaded,  the 
rear  wheels  may  be  slightly  lowered. 

Threshing  Kafir-Corn.  The  three  principal  varieties  of 
Kafir-corn — the  white,  the  red  and  the  black-hulled  white 
(African-millet),  are  known  by  various  names,  such  as 
"red-top  cane"  or  "sumac-cane,"  "milo-maize,"  "black- 
amber-cane,"  "guinea-corn,"  etc.  Any  of  these  may  be 
successfully  threshed  with  a  "Case"  separator.  When  the 
machine  is  kept  continually  threshing  crops  of  this  sort,  it 
is  best  to  use  the  "Texas"  straw-rack,  which  is  made  espe- 
cially for  this  work.  The  general  directions  for  wheat 
may  be  followed  in  regard  to  the  cylinder  and  concaves, 
speed  and  cleaning  apparatus.  If  the  seed  is  easily  cracked, 
the  pulleys  for  rice  may  be  used  and  cylinder  speeded  ac- 
cordingly. For  a  screen,  use  the  one-eighth-inch  round 
hole,  O,  unless  seed  is  small,  in  which  case  the  three-thirty- 
seconds-inch  round  hole,  N,  may  be  used. 

Threshing  Indian^Corn  or  Maize.  The  threshing  of 
Indian-corn  is  very  severe  on  a  separator  and  the  use  of  a 
good  machine  for  this  purpose  is  therefore  not  recom- 


204  SCIENCE   OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

mended.  Some  threshermen  use  a  separator  which  has 
been  discarded  for  regular  grain  threshing  and  this  ar- 
rangement is  not  objectionable.  As  the  corn  is  shelled  by 
the  machine  it  must  be  drier  than  is  necessary  for  a  husker- 
shredder,  or  the  shelled  corn  will  heat  and  spoil.  Usually 
the  cylinder  is  run  at  its  normal  speed.  Two  rows  of  con- 
cave-teeth are  sufficient.  Often  concave-teeth  are  forged 
so  as  to  be  sharpened  on  the  front  edge  or  else  shortened 
to  lessen  the  amount  of  power  required  to  drive  the  cyl- 
inder. The  fish-backs  and  riser  supports  may  be  removed 
from  the  straw-rack  and  the  risers  lowered  so  that 
the  rack  is  flat,  similar  to  the  special  "Texas"  rack  used 
for  Kafir-corn. 

Threshing  Peanuts.  The  equipment  necessary  to  con- 
vert a  regular  "Case"  separator  into  a  peanut  separator  con- 
sists of  concaves,  pulleys,  sieves,  special  bagger  and  a 
tailings  spout.  It  is  also  necessary  to  remove  some  of  the 
teeth  from  the  cylinder.  The  teeth  needed  for  Spanish 
peanuts  may  conveniently  be  located  as  follows :  Turn  the 
cylinder  until  you  find  a  bar  that  has  teeth  about  I  inch 
from  each  end.  The  teeth  in  this  bar  and  in  every  alternate 
one  are  the  ones  to  be  used.  Remove  all  others ;  also  the 
inside  bars  from  which  the  teeth  have  been  removed.  Two- 
inch  lip-sieves  are  used  in  the  conveyor,  conveyor  extension 
and  shoe.  The  two  former  must  be  well  opened  and  the 
shoe-sieve  should  be  set  well  up  in  front  and  nearly  level 
or  perhaps  a  trifle  low  next  to  the  tailings  auger;  other- 
wise, the  sieve  will  begin  to  "load"  and  the  passage  be 


THRESHING  WITH  SPECIALLY  EQUIPPED  SEPARATOR    205 

obstructed.  The  fan-blinds  may  be  regulated  so  as  to 
blow  out  all  of  the  "pops"  if  desired.  When  a  heavy  blast 
is  needed,  care  must  be  taken  so  that  no  good  peanuts  will 
be  blown  over.  This  may  be  avoided  by  raising  the  rear  of 
the  conveyor  extension-sieve  and  the  sheet  iron  extension 
just  back  of  the  tailings  auger.  The  bagger  is  of  the 
vibrating  type,  elevating  the  peanuts  by  pitching  them  from 
notch  to  notch,  thus  avoiding  breakage  in  elevating.  The 
fifteen-sixty-fourths-inch  round  hole  screen  in  the  bottom 
of  the  elevator  should  be  looked  at  from  time  to  time  to 
see  that  it  is  clean.  Do  not  allow  the  sand  or  dirt  under 
this  screen  to  become  so  high  as  to  interfere  with  the 
operation  of  the  bagger.  The  best  results  are  obtained  by 
running  it  with  a  crossed  belt.  The  special  equipment  for 
peanut  separators  is  furnished  only  for  the  eighteen  by 
thirty-sixth-inch  size. 

FOR    SPANISH   PEANUT    SEPARATORS: 

Pulleys  on  cylinder  shaft  for  threshing  Spanish  Peanuts  are  the 
same  as  those  listed  under  Peas  and  Beans,  12-bar,  page  194. 

FOR    VIRGINIA    PEANUT    SEPARATORS    (BELT): 

5063T     Main   Cylinder   Pulley,   18"   dia.,   runs   cylinder   293   r.   p.   m. 

when  36"  engine  fly-wheel  makes  146  r.  p.  m. 
5789T     Cylinder  Pulley  drives  beater  and  crank,   22"  dia.    (remove 

tightener),   runs  crank   normal  speed,   230   r.   p.   m.,   with 

cylinder  speed  of  293  r.  p.  m. 
A5065T     Cylinder  Pulley  drives  wind  stacker,   20"  dia.,  and  A303H 

or  B303H  Wind  Stacker  Pulley,   8%"  dia.,  run  jack-shaft 

690  r.  p.  m.  with  cylinder  speed  of  293  r.  p.  m. 

FOR  VIRGINIA  PEANUT  SEPARATORS  (GEARED) : 

5071T  Bevel  Gear  (47  teeth)  and  A5072T  Cylinder  Pinion  (Steel) 
or  5072T  (Wood)  (25  teeth)  run  cylinder  about  308  r.  p. 
m.  with  spur  pinion  A8W  (22  teeth)  on  horse  power, 
when  the  horses  make  2>4  r.  p.  m.  Pulleys,  except  5063T, 
same  as  for  Virginia  Peanut  Belt  Separators. 


2O6 


SCIENCE   OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 


BELTS    FOR    CASE    SEPARATORS. 


NAME 

12-Bar  or 
20-Bar 

013 
—  0 
t>  0 

~£ 

c/r 

Material 

ja 

T3 

$ 

A 
M 

\ 

Crank  and  Beater  

20-Bar 
12-Bar 
12-Bar 
20-Bar 
12-Bar 
Both 
20-Bar 
12-Bar 
12-Bar 
20-Bar 
20-Bar 
20-Bar 
12-Bar 
20-Bar 
Both 
12-Bar 
20-Bar 
20-Bar 
Both 
12-Bar 
20-Bar 
20-Bar 
12-Bar 
20-Bar 
Both 
Both 
Both 
12-Bar 
20-Bar 
Both 
Both 
12-Bar 
20-Bar 
Both 
Both 
Both 
Both 
Both 

Both 
Steel 
Wood 
Both 
Both 
Both 
Steel 
Steel 
Wood 
Both 
Steel 
Wood 
Both 
Both 
Both 
Both 
Steel 
Wood 
Steel 
Wood 
Wood 
Steel 
Both 
Wood 
Steel 
Wood 
Steel 
Wood 
Wood 
Steel 
Wood 
Both 
Both 
Both 
Both 
Both 
Both 
Both 

Leather 
Leather 
Leather 
Leather 
Leather 
Leather 
Leather 
Leather 

j  L'th'r 

Leather 
Leather 
Leather 
Leather 
Leather 
Rubber 
Rubber 
Rubber 
Rubber 
Rubber 
Rubber 
Rubber 
Rubber 
Rubber 
Rubber 
Rubber 
Rubber 
Rubber 
Rubber 
Rubber 
Rubber 
Rubber 
Rubber 
Rubber 
Leather 
Leather 
Rubber 
Rubber 

6" 
4" 
4" 
4" 
4" 
2K' 

2y2tt 

2j/2" 

w 

2" 
2" 
4* 
4" 

w 

5" 
5" 
5" 
5" 
5" 
5' 
5" 
5" 
5" 
5' 
5" 
2' 
2" 

2>2" 
2J4" 
4" 
4" 
4" 
2" 
2/2" 
3" 
3" 

18'    4" 
16'  11" 
16'    2" 
19'  11" 
18'    6" 
14'  11" 
15'    2y2" 

ir  nys 

12'    3" 

4'  11^' 
5'    3" 
14'    4" 
15'    4" 
8'    2" 
34'     10" 
36'    6" 
38'    0" 
28'    0" 
27'    0" 
28'    7" 
37'    0" 
35'    5' 
38'    6' 
28'    3" 
30'     0" 
11'  11" 
11'    9" 
13'    4" 
14'  10" 
16'    6" 
31'    0" 
32'    8" 
25'    5" 
6'    5" 
19'    2" 
22'    3" 
35'    0" 

Crank  and  Beater  

Crank  and  Beater  

Fan                   

Fan                          

Elevator                     

Elevator  

Grain  Auger  

Grain  Auger.  > 

Shoe  Shake       

Shoe  Shake        

Feeder  Drive                

Feeder  Drive  

Feeder    small  

Wind  Stacker  Drive  

Wind  Stacker  Drive  

Wind  Stacker  Drive  

Wind  Stacker  Drive,  geared.  . 
Wind  Stacker  Drive,-  geared.  . 
Wind  Stacker  Drive,  geared.. 
Combined  Stacker  Drive   

Combined  Stacker  Drive    

Combined  Stacker  Drive   

Combined  Stacker  Drive,  geared 
Combined  Stacker  Drive,  geared 
Wind  Stacker  Turret  Drive... 
Wind  Stacker  Turret  Drive... 
Wind  Stacker  Turret  Drive... 
Combined  Stacker  Turret  Drive 
Combined  Stacker  Turret  Drive 
Attached  Stacker  Drive   

Attached  Stacker  Drive    

Attached  Stacker  Drive,  geared. 
Attached  Stacker,  short  

Attached  Stacker,   long  

Common  Stacker   

Independent    Stacker  

'NOTE:  New  rubber  belts  often  shrink  after  being  taken  from  the 
roll  and  for  this  reason  they  are  cut  longer  than  required — one 
inch  for  each  eight  feet — in  order  to  allow  for  shrinkage.  On  the 
contrary,  leather  belts  are  cut  shorter  than  required — one  inch  for 
each  eight  or  ten  feet — in  order  to  allow  for  stretch. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  PULLEYS  AND  BELTING  OF  A 
SEPARATOR 

PULLEYS  are  usually  held  in  place  on  the  shafts 
either  by  taper-keys  or  by  set-screws.     Sometimes 
straight  keys  or  "feather"  keys,  as  they  are  called, 
are  used,  but  as  these  only  prevent  the  pulley  from  turning, 
set-screws  or  other  additional  means  must  be  used  to 
secure  the  key  against  slipping  out  and  the  pulley  against 
sliding  on  the  shaft.     When  used  with  feather-keys,  set- 
screws  are  placed  so  their  points  rest  on  the  key  and  thus 
do  not  score  or  mar  the  shaft. 

Taper  Keys.  A  taper  key  when  properly  fitted,  holds 
a  pulley  very  securely.  To  do  this,  however,  such  a  key 
must  be  the  same  width  throughout  its  length  and  accu- 
rately fit  the  slots  or  "seats"  cut  for  it  on  the  shaft  and  in 
the  pulley.  The  thickness  should  vary  to  correspond  with 
that  of  the  key-way  in  the  pulley.  A  key  should  be  driven 
in  hard  enough  to  be  safe  against  working  loose,  but  when 
well  fitted,  it  is  not  necessary  to  drive  it  so  hard  that  it 
may  not  be  readily  removed.  The  hubs  of  most  of  the  pul- 
leys on  the  machine  run  against  the  boxes,  and  in  keying 
these,  about  one-thirty-second  of  an  inch  end  play  should 

207 


2O8  SCIENCE    OF    SUCCESSFUL    THRESHING 

be  allowed  the  shaft,  to  prevent  danger  of  heating  from 
the  pulley  rubbing  too  hard  against  the  end  of  the  box. 
A  key  that  is  too  thin,  but  otherwise  fits  properly  may  be 
made  tight  by  putting  a  strip  of  tin  or  sheet-iron  between 
it  and  the  bottom  of  the  way  in  the  pulley. 

Fitting  Keys.  Coat  the  key  with  some  pasty  sub- 
stance, such  as  thick  paint  or  heavy  grease,  and  then  rub 
it  off  so  that  only  a  very  thin  coating  remains.  Then  try 
the  key  in  place  and  drive  it  in  lightly.  Next  withdraw  it 
and  the  high  points  at  which  it  bears  will  be  indicated  so 
that  they  may  be  filed  off.  The  key  should  then  be  re- 
coated  and  tried  again,  this  operation  being  repeated  until 
the  key  is  a  good  fit  its  entire  length.  When  the  marks 
indicate  that  the  key  fits  properly,  it  may  be  driven  in 
permanently,  but  a  properly  fitted  key  requires  but  a  few 
blows  with  a  light  hammer  in  order  to  remain  in.  A  key 
should  never  be  left  projecting  beyond  the  end  of  a  shaft, 
as  it  is  liable  to  catch  clothing  and  injure  someone. 

Drawing  Taper  Keys.  A  taper  key  can  usually  be 
removed  by  driving  the  pulley  toward  the  thin  end  of  the 
key.  Often,  however,  the  pulley  cannot  be  driven  a  suf- 
ficient distance  to  loosen  the  key  because  of  its  coming 
against  a  box  or  another  pulley.  If  the  end  of  the  key 
projects  beyond  the  hub,  it  may  be  removed  by  catching 
it  with  a  pair  of  key-pullers  or  horse-shoe  pinchers  and 
prying  with  them  against  the  hub,  at  the  same  time  hitting 
the  hub  with  a  hammer  so  as  to  drive  pulley  on  Some- 
times the  end  of  a  key  may  be  caught  with  a  claw  hammer 


THE  PULLEYS  AND  BELTING  OF  A  SEPARATOR         2OO, 

and  loosened  by  driving  on  the  hub  of  pulley  as  explained. 
If  a  pulley  is  against  the  box  and  key  cuts  off  flush  with 
the  hub,  it  may  be  necessary  to  remove  the  shaft,  drive 
the  pulley  on  until  the  key  loosens  or  if  key-seat  be  long 
enough,  a  "drift"  may  be  used  from  the  inside. 

Covering  Pulleys.  The  smaller  pulleys  or  those  on 
which  the  belts  are  likely  to  slip  are  covered  or  lagged  with 
leather  or  other  similar  material.  The  important  thing  in 
covering  any  pulley  is  to  get  the  leather  tight,  because  it 
will  soon  come  off  if  there  be  any  slack  in  it. 

Nailed  Covers.  Some  pulleys  are  cast  with  recesses  in 
their  rims  for  insertion  of  wooden  wedges.  These  pulleys 
are  easily  lagged  because  the  covers  are  fastened,  simply 
by  nailing  to  the  wooden  wedges.  To  re-cover  a  pulley 
fitted  with  wooden  wedges,  take  off  what  remains  of  the 
old  cover,  pull  out  the  nails  and  renew  the  wedges  if  neces- 
sary. Select  a  good  piece  of  leather  a  little  wider  than  face 
of  pulley  and  about  four  inches  longer  than  the  distance 
around.  Soak  it  in  water  about  an  hour.  Cut  off  one  end 
square  and  nail  it  to  one  pair  of  the  wedges,  using  nails 
just  long  enough  to  clinch.  To  stretch  the  leather,  use  a 
clamp  made  of  two  pieces  of  wood  and  two  bolts.  Block 
the  shaft  to  keep  it  from  turning,  and  stretch  the  leather 
by  prying  over  the  clamp  with  levers.  The  leather  should 
not  be  stretched  around  the  whole  pulley  at  once,  but  the 
clamp  should  be  so  placed  that  there  is  only  sufficient  room 
to  nail  to  the  next  pair  of  wedges.  After  nailing,  move 
the  clamp  and  nail  to  each  pair  of  wedges  in  turn,  finally 

14 


210  SCIENCE    OF    SUCCESSFUL    THRESHING 

nailing  the  leather  again  to  the  first  pair  before  cutting  off. 
Trim  the  edges  even  with  the  rim  of  the  pulley. 

Riveted  Covers.  The  same  method  of  stretching  the 
leather  by  means  of  a  clamp  may  be  used  on  pulleys  with 
riveted  covers  or  they  can  be  covered  in  the  following  man- 
ner :  Soak  the  leather  in  water  for  an  hour.  Cut  off  one 
end  square,  and  rivet  it  on.  Then  draw  the  leather  around 
the  pulley  and  mark  the  next  two  pairs  of  holes.  Punch 
holes  in  the  leather  a  little  back  of  the  marks  made  by  the 
first  pair  of  holes  and  a  little  farther  back  of  the  marks 
made  by  the  second  pair  of  holes.  Insert  the  points  of  two 
scratch  awls  through  the  second  pair  of  holes  in  the  leather 
and  into  the  corresponding  holes  in  the  pulley  rim.  Using 
scratch  awls  as  levers,  draw  the  leather  very  tight  and  the 
first  pair  of  rivets  may  be  easily  inserted.  Move  the  awls 
to  the  third  pair  of  holes,  insert  the  second  pair  of  rivets 
and  so  on  around  the  pulley.  The  tines  of  an  old  pitch- 
fork drawn  down  a  little  at  the  points  and  tempered  make 
very  suitable  scratch  awls  for  this  purpose. 

The  Belting  of  the  Separator  should  be  carefully  looked 
after,  as  the  working  of  the  machine  depends  in  a  large 
measure  upon  the  condition  of  the  belts.  The  pulleys  must 
be  in  line,  to  insure  the  belt  running  on  them  its  full  width. 
Where  the  shafts  are  parallel,  a  belt  will  always  run  to  the 
tightest  place  or  where  the  pulleys  are  largest.  For  this 
reason,  all  pulleys  on  the  separator  are  made  larger  in  the 
middle,  "crowning"  as  it  is  called,  so  belts  will  tend  to 
run  in  the  center. 


THE  PULLEYS  AND  BELTING  Of  A  SEPARATOR         211 

The  separator  tender  should  look  over  the  belts  once 
each  day  and  re-lace  any  doubtful  ones  outside  of  thresh- 
ing hours  so  as  to  prevent  the  necessity  of  stopping  to 
repair  a  belt  when  the  machine  should  be  running.  Some 
threshermen,  realizing  the  expense  of  delays,  carry  an 
extra  set,  so  that  in  case  anything  happens  to  any  belt  in 
use,  the  extra  one  may  be  put  on  and  the  work  immediately 
continued.  If  it  starts  to  rain  while  threshing,  the  sepa- 
rator should  be  stopped  at  once,  and  the  belts,  especially 
the  leather  ones,  put  under  cover  before  they  get  wet.  The 
machine  will  run  only  a  few  minutes  in  the  rain  before  the 
belts  begin  to  slip  and  come  off,  and  it  is  best  to  stop  in  time 
and  keep  them  in  good  condition  to  start  again. 

Leather  Belts.  All  leather  belts  should  be  run  hair 
side  to  the  pulley.  Some  years  ago  mechanics  and  engineers 
disagreed  as  to  which  side  of  the  leather  should  be  next  to 
the  pulley,  but  it  has  been  shown  that  belts  last  longer  and 
transmit  more  power  when  run  hair  side  to  the  pulley.  The 
reason  is  that  the  flesh  side  is  more  flexible  and  will  more 
readily  accommodate  itself  to  the  curve  of  the  pulley.  If 
the  more  rigid  hair  side  be  obliged  to  stretch  every  time  it 
goes  around  a  pulley,  it  will  crack,  in  time.  When  leather 
belts  become  hard,  they  should  be  softened  with  neatsfoot 
oil,  or  some  other  suitable  dressing  for  a  flexible  belt  will 
transmit  more  power  than  a  hard,  stiff  one.  The  mineral 
oils  used  for  lubricating  purposes  rot  leather  and  conse- 
quently, belts  should  be  kept  as  free  from  them  as  possible. 

A  Rubber  Belt  should  always  be  put  on  with  the  seam 


212  SCIENCE    OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

(which  is  near  the  center,  and  covered  with  a  narrow  strip 
of  rubber)  on  the  outside,  and  not  next  to  the  pulley.  The 
cleaner  a  rubber  belt  is  kept,  the  better.  No  dressing  of 
any  kind  should  be  used.  Anything  of  a  sticky  nature 
adhering  to  it,  will  have  a  tendency  to  pull  off  the  outer 
coating  of  rubber  and  greatly  injure  the  belt.  Oils  of  all 
kinds  should  be  carefully  avoided,  and  should  a  rubber  belt 
accidentally  become  covered  with  oil,  it  is  best  to  wash  it 
off  with  soap  and  water.  The  best  place  to  store  rubber 
belts  is  in  the  cellar,  because  darkness  and  slightly  damp 
air  tend  to  preserve  rubber,  whereas  light,  especially  direct 
sunlight,  and  extreme  dryness  tend  to  rot  it. 

The  Main  Belt  is  usually  of  rubber  or  stitched  canvas 
in  widths  of  six,  seven  or  eight  inches,  and  made  endless 
in  lengths  of  120,  150  or  160  feet.  The  object  in  having 
it  so  long  is  to  place  the  engine  far  enough  from  the  grain 
to  be  safe  from  fire.  Accordingly,  the  120  foot  length 
may  be  used  when  the  fuel  is  coal,  but  when  burning  wood 
or  straw,  the  longer  lengths  should  be  used.  The  amount 
of  barn  and  stack  threshing  and  the  usual  arrangement  of 
the  stacks  in  the  locality  in  which  the  rig  is  to  operate 
must  also  be  taken  into  consideration  in  choosing  the  length 
of  belt.  With  the  engine  having  a  forty-inch  fly-wheel 
and  running  at  250  revolutions  per  minute,  the  main  belt 
will  travel  2625  feet,  or  almost  exactly  one-half  mile  in 
a  minute.  A  belt  has  a  greater  tendency  to  slip  on  the 
smaller  of  the  two  pulleys  over  which  it  runs  and  for  this 
reason,  the  cylinder  pulley  is  covered  with  leather  or 


THE  PULLEYS  AND  BELTING  OF  A  SEPARATOR         213 

similar  material.  When  the  cover  is  worn  out,  a  new  one 
should  be  put  on  as  no  main  belt  will  pull  well  on  a 
bare  cylinder  pulley.  Rubber  belts  have  good  pulling 
power.  They  do  not  require  dressing,  in  fact,  any  dressing 
is  injurious,  because  it  has  a  tendency  to  pull  off  the  outer 
coating  of  rubber.  To  obtain  the  best  results,  stitched 
canvas  belts,  however,  should  be  treated  with  a  coat  of 
"Case"  dressing  once  in  about  thirty  days.  It  keeps  the 
belt  waterproof  and  pliable  and  greatly  increases  its  power 
transmitting  qualities.  Linseed  oil  paint  is  sometimes 
used,  but  it  is  objectionable  because  it  will  dry  and  render 
the  belt  so  stiff  that  it  is  liable  to  crack.  Therefore,  it 
should  not  be  used,  except,  possibly,  on  a  belt  that  is  nearly 
worn  out  and  is  soon  to  be  discarded.  If  impossible  to 
get  dressing,  use  castor  oil — the  crude  if  obtainable.  In 
an  emergency,  cheap  laundry  soap,  containing  rosin,  will 
help  out. 

Lacing  a  Belt.  Many  make  a  mistake  in  thinking  that 
the  heavier  a  lacing  is  made,  the  more  durable  it  will  be. 
This  leads  them  to  make  the  lacing  so  thick  and  clumsy 
that  the  belt  is  strained  in  going  around  the  pulleys,  caus- 
ing the  lace  to  wear  out  in  a  short  time  and  probably  the 
belt  to  be  torn  between  the  holes.  A  good  lacing  is  as  sim- 
ilar as  possible  to  the  rest  of  the  belt,  so  that  it  passes  over 
the  pulleys  without  shock  or  jar.  To  lace  a  belt  begin  by 
cutting  off  the  ends  of  the  belt  square,  using  a  try-square 
for  this  purpose,  especially  on  the  wider  belts.  Use  a 
punch  small  enough  so  that  the  lacing  will  fill  the  holes, 


214 


SCIENCE    OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 


but  will  not  pull  in  so  tightly  as  to  tear  the  belt.  Space 
the  holes  equally  across  the  belt,  leaving  the  outside  holes 
far  enough  (about  one-half  inch),  from  the  edge  of  the 
belt  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  their  tearing  out.  Fig.  51 


FIG.   51.      SPACING  OF   HOLES   IN  LEATHER  BELTS. 

shows  the  position  of  the  holes  for  the  common  widths  of 
belts.  In  a  leather  belt  the  holes  may  be  quite  near  the 
end  (l/2  to  $/%  inch),  without  tearing  out,  and  when  so 
placed  the  belt  will  pass  smoothly  over  the  pulleys.  A  belt 
is  much  more  apt  to  break  or  tear  between  the  holes  than 
it  is  to  tear  from  the  holes  to  the  end. 

The  belt  of  a  stacker-web  laced  by  turning  up  the 
ends  of  the  belt  is  shown  by  A  and  B  of  Fig.  52.    Any 


FIG.  52.     BELT  LACING  WITH   ENDS  TURNED  UP. 


THE  PULLEYS  AND  BELTING  OF  A  SEPARATOR        215 


rubber  or  stitched  canvas  belt  that  does  not  run  over  idler 
or  tightener  pulleys,  causing  both  sides  of  the  belt  to  be 
in  contact  with  pulleys,  may  be  laced  in  this  way.  For 
these  this  lacing  has  the  advantage  of  lasting  two  or  three 
times  as  long  as  the  ordinary  one.  The  reason  is  that  the 
lace  is  not  exposed  to  wear  and  the  belt  will  pass  around 


FIG.    53.      LACING    FOR    FOUR-INCH    LEATHER    BELT.     . 

the  smallest  pulley  without  straining  either  holes  or  lace 
leather.  If  trouble  be  experienced  in  keeping  an  old  main 
belt  laced,  this  method  may  be  used  with  success. 

A  four-inch  belt  laced  in  the  ordinary  manner  is  shown 
by  Fig.  53.  The  side  shown  in  the  first  view  should  be  run 
next  to  the  pulley.  The  lacing  shown  in  Fig.  55 
is  very  satisfactory  where  a  belt  passes  over  small  pulleys 
or  idlers,  for  it  bends  easily  in  either  direction.  It  is  there- 
fore very  durable  and  satisfactory  for  a  rubber  or  stitched 
canvas  wind  stacker  belt.  Also  the  belt  driving  beater  and 
crank  should  be  laced  this  way,  but  as  this  is  of  leather,  the 
holes  may  be  nearer  the  end  than  in  the  cut,  which  shows 
the  spacing  for  rubber  or  stitched  canvas. 


2l6  SCIENCE    OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

The  holes  to  fasten  the  ends  should  be  punched  in  line 
with  the  lace  holes  so  that  they  will  be  in  the  right  place 
when  the  belt  is  cut  off  and  they  become  lace  holes.  The 
best  way  to  fasten  an  end  is  to  draw  it  into  a  small  hole, 
then  back  through  the  same  hole,  cutting  off  the  end  to 
leave  about  one-half  inch.  New  belts  stretch  considerably 
the  first  few  days  and  the  ends  of  the  lacing  should  not  be 
cut  off  short  until  the  stretch  is  taken  out  of  the  belts,  so  the 
same  lacing  may  be  used  for  re-sewing.  If  the  belts  have 
become  wet  and  shrunk,  the  lacings  should  be  let  out  before 
putting  them  on.  If  very  tight,  they  cause  undue  friction 
on  the  bearings,  making  them  heat.  Then,  too,  tight  belts 
have  been  known  to  cause  the  breaking  off  of  a  shaft. 

Lacing  Stitched  Canvas  Belt.  A  stitched  canvas  belt, 
though  highly  satisfactory  in  other  respects,  is  often  con- 
demned because  the  lacing  will  not  hold.  It  can,  however, 
be  laced  in  several  ways  that  are  satisfactory.  In  any 
event,  the  holes  for  the  lacing  must  be  made  with  an  awl 
and  not  with  a  hollow  punch,  which  cuts  off  many  strands 
and  greatly  weakens  the  belt.  The  tine  of  an  old  pitchfork 
makes  a  very  good  awl  for  this  purpose  and  the  oval  shape 
will  be  found  convenient.  The  holes  must  not  be  nearer 
the  end  than  seven-eighths  of  an  inch  or  nearer  the  edge 
than  five-eighths  of  an  inch. 

The  lacing  illustrated  is  perhaps  the  best  for  canvas 
stitched  belts,  and  threshermen  having  the  running  of 
these  belts  in  charge  are  advised  to  practice  making  this 
lacing  some  rainy  day  until  they  can  make  it  without  diffi- 


* 


THE  PULLEYS  AND   BELTING  OF  A   SEPARATOR 

culty.  It  is  a  hinge  lacing  which  allows  it  to  pass  around 
small  pulleys  and  tighteners  without  straining.  The  ends 
of  the  belt  are  protected  against  fraying.  In  the  example 
illustrated,  there  are  twenty-eight  strands  of  lacing  con- 
necting two  ends  of  the  belt. 

The  illustrations 
show  a  5-inch  belt, 
the  size  used  to  drive 
the  wind  stacker.  To 
make  this  lacing,  first 
select  a  good  lace, 
not  too  thick,  three- 
eighths  of  an  inch 
wide  and  7  feet  8  in-  FIG-  ^  CATION  OF  HOLES  FOR 

'  LACING    CANVAS    BELT. 

ches  long  for  5-inch 

belt.  Lay  out  the  holes  as  shown  in  Fig.  54.  Begin  at 
one  edge  of  the  belt,  passing  the  lace  up  through  the  out- 
side hole  in  one  end  and  then  down  between  the  ends  of 
the  belt  and  up  through  the  hole  in  the  other  end  of  belt. 
Notice  that  the  lace  passes  twice  through  each  hole.  When 
the  ends  of  the  lace  have  been  put  through  the  holes,  both 
must  be  passed  between  the  ends  of  the  belt  to  the  opposite 
side  as  shown  in  A,  Fig.  55.  When  this  is  done,  put  the  ends 
through  the  same  holes  again,  then  pass  them  both  be- 
tween the  ends  of  the  belt  to  opposite  side  as  at  B.  One 
end  should  not  be  put  through  two  holes  in  succession 
and  both  ends  of  the  lace  must  be  passed  through  between 
the  ends  of  the  belt  to  the  opposite  side  before  either  is 


218 


SCIENCE    OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 


put  through  the  hole.  Continue  in  exactly  the  same  man- 
ner as  at  C,  until  the  lacing  is  finished  as  shown  in  D. 
When  lacing  is  complete  the  appearance  is  exactly  the 
same  on  both  sides,  the  straight  strands  being  on  one  end 
of  the  belt  on  one  side,  and  on  the  other  end  on  the  opposite 


C  D 

FIG.    55-      STITCHED    CANVAS    BELT   LACINGS. 

side.  Care  must  be  taken  to  keep  lacing  as  near  the  same 
tension  throughout  the  width  as  possible,  so  that  one  edge 
will  not  be  tighter  than  the  other,  in  which  case  the  belt 
would  be  crooked  and  not  run  true.  For  the  same  reason  a 
try-square  should  be  used  in  cutting  off  the  ends  of  the 
belt. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

LUBRICATION  AND  CARE  OF  THE 
SEPARATOR 

THE  life  of  the  machine  depends  largely  upon  the 
thoroughness  of  its  lubrication.  This  is  especially 
true  of  the  steel  separator,  which  does  not  fail 
from  rotting.  A  light  oil  with  good  wearing  qualities 
should  be  used.  Thin  oil  is  surer  to  reach  the  place  it 
is  intended  to  lubricate  than  thick,  heavy  oil.  A  journal 
is  more  apt  to  be  continually  lubricated  when  a  small 
amount  of  oil  is  applied  frequently  than  when  a  great  deal 
is  used  at  longer  intervals.  Many  of  the  oil  boxes  on  the 
machine,  as  for  example  those  on  the  rock  shafts,  may  be 
partly  filled  with  wool  or  cotton  waste.  Either  will  keep 
out  dirt  and  make  them  hold  oil  longer.  This  wool  or 
waste  should  be  renewed  at  the  beginning  of  each  season 
and  more  frequently  in  localities  in  which  there  is  sand. 
Use  a  nail  or  soft  wire  to  clean  out  oil  holes,  for  if  a  piece 
of  steel  be  used  when  shaft  is  running,  it  is  liable  to  "score" 
and  injure  the  journal. 

Hot  Bearings.  The  causes  of  hot  bearings  are :  I — In- 
sufficient lubrication  because  of  too  little  or  too  poor  oil  or 
hole  being  stopped  up;  2 — dirt  or  grit  on  the  journal ;  3 — 

219 


22O  SCIENCE    OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

box  too  tight ;  4 — belt  too  tight ;  5 — box  not  in  line  with 
shaft ;  6 — collar  or  pulley  too  tight  against  end  of  box ;  7 — 
journal  rough  or  shaft  sprung;  8 — improper  balancing  of 
heavy,  high-speed  parts.  In  case  a  box  heats,  cool  with 
water,  clean  the  oil  holes  carefully,  oil  liberally  and  if  it 
gets  hot  again,  stop  and  remove  the  cap,  clean  the  bearing 
carefully  and  be  sure  the  oil  holes  and  grooves  are  open 
before  replacing  it.  Also  be  careful  to  leave  the  paper 
liners  undisturbed.  If  the  babbitt  has  adhered  to  the  shaft, 
because  of  overheating,  scrape  every  particle  of  it  from  the 
shaft  with  a  knife.  If  the  journal  has  been  cut  and  is 
consequently  rough  because  of  the  formation  of  ridges, 
smooth  it  carefully  with  a  fine  file  and  wipe  it  thoroughly 
so  that  no  filings  remain.  Oil  it  well  before  replacing  cap. 
Because  of  the  expansion  due  to  heating,  it  sometimes 
happens  that  a  shaft  that  is  cutting  becomes  fast  in  its  box 
so  that  it  will  not  turn.  If  the  box  be  in  one  piece  so  there 
is  no  cap  to  remove,  after  cooling  with  water,  kerosene 
may  be  applied  to  loosen  it.  In  very  windy  weather  the 
right  cylinder  box  requires  especial  attention  as  the  con- 
stant swaying  of  the  main-belt  causes  an  extra  amount 
of  friction  on  this  bearing. 

Greasing  the  Trucks.  This  book  would  be  incomplete 
without  a  word  of  warning  concerning  the  damage,  fre- 
quently caused  by  neglect,  to  the  skeins  and  hubs  of  the 
trucks  of  an  outfit.  To  make  the  lubrication  of  truck- 
wheels  convenient,  in  some  cases,  the  hubs  are  provided 


LUBRICATION  AND  CARE  OF  THE  SEPARATOR        221 

with  grease  cups  or  oil-holes  closed  with  plugs.  However, 
this  means  of  lubricating  cannot  always  be  relied  upon,  as 
the  holes  are  apt  to  become  clogged.  All  truck-wheels 
should  frequently  be  removed  and  the  skein  cleaned  of  all 
caked  grease  and  dirt.  The  skein  should  then  be  well 
coated  with  axle-grease,  especially  near  the  large  end 
which  has  the  greatest  wear.  It  is  well  to  spread  some 
machine-oil  over  the  axle-grease.  The  separator  truck- 
wheels  especially  should  have  frequent  attention,  as  the 
dust  and  chaff  of  threshing  quickly  dries  the  grease  or  oil. 
A  good  operator  will  not  permit  the  skeins  and  hubs  of  the 
machinery  in  his  care  to  be  injured  for  want  of  proper 
lubrication. 

The  Care  of  a  Separator.  With  good  care  a  separator 
should  last  eight  or  ten  years,  and  there  are  many  "Case" 
machines  that  have  been  in  use  twice  that  length  of  time. 
When  the  threshing  season  is  finished,  the  machine  should 
be  thoroughly  cleaned  and  housed  in  a  dry  place.  Dirt 
that  has  been  allowed  to  remain  on  the  machine  during 
the  winter,  holds  moisture,  ruins  varnish  and  paint,  and 
rusts  the  sieve  and  other  iron  and  steel  parts.  The  appear- 
ance of  a  machine  usually  tells  a  truer  tale  of  its  condition 
than  the  number  of  years  it  has  been  run.  The  separator 
should  be  given  a  coat  of  good  coach  varnish  at  least  once 
in  two  years,  especially  wood  frame  machines.  Before 
applying  the  varnish,  the  paint  should  be  thoroughly 
cleaned  and  all  grease  and  oil  removed  with  benzine. 


222  SCIENCE    Of    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

Before  the  beginning  of  each  threshing  season,  the 
separator  should  be  carefully  overhauled,  worn  cylinder 
teeth  removed  and  all  broken  slats  in  the  straw-rack  or 
stacker-rakes  replaced.  Any  boxes  that  are  worn  should 
be  taken  up  or  rebabbitted  if  necessary.  The  wooden  boxes 
on  the  straw-rack,  conveyor  and  shoe  eccentrics  can  easily 
and  cheaply  be  replaced  when  worn  out.  All  nuts  that 
are  loose  should  be  tightened  and  any  bolts  that  may  have 
been  lost,  replaced.  In  tightening  a  nut  it  should  always 
be  turned  square  with  the  piece  on  which  it  rests.  If  this 
be  habitually  done,  not  only  does  the  machine  look  better, 
but  it  serves  to  make  the  loosening  of  a  nut  apparent. 

Canvas-Cover.  If  a  canvas  be  used  to  cover  the  separa- 
tor nights  and  when  not  running  during  the  threshing 
season,  its  better  appearance  will  amply  repay  the  extra 
trouble  and  expense,  in  addition  to  prolonging  its  use- 
fulness. 

In  Laying  up  a  Wood  Frame  Machine  see  that  the 
bolster  is  blocked  up  by  bolster-jacks  or  other  means  so 
as  to  hold  the  frame  square.  This  is  especially  necessary 
if  the  separator  has  a  side-gear,  if  the  main-belt  remains 
on  the  reel,  or,  if  for  other  reasons,  one  side  is  heavier 
than  the  other. 

Removing  the  Beater.  The  beater  can  be  taken  out 
of  the  machine  without  removing  the  shaft  or  pulley.  This 
may  be  done  on  wood- frame  machines  by  removing  the 
pieces  of  siding  and  the  bolts  holding  bearings  and  blocks 
and  lifting  the  beater  straight  up.  On  steel  machines  the 


LUBRICATION  AND  CARE  OF  THE  SEPARATOR        223 

girt  and  circular  piece  of  sheet-steel  on  the  left-hand  side 
are  removed  and  the  beater  taken  out  through  the  hole 
thus  created. 

To  Remove  Rock-Shafts.  The  rock-shafts  are  en- 
larged at  one  end  so  that  when  the  set-screws  are  loosened 
they  may  be  readily  removed.  The  front  rock-shaft  is 
straight  and  can  be  taken  out  at  the  left  side  of  the  ma- 
chine by  removing  its  left-hand  box  and  simply  loosening 
the  set-screws  in  the  vibrating-arms.  The  rear  rock-shaft 
is  bent  and  is  taken  out  by  loosening  the  set-screws  and 
left-hand  box  and  moving  the  shaft  to  the  left  until  out  of 
the  right-hand  arm,  then  to  the  right  until  out  of  the  left- 
hand  arm. 

To  Remove  the  Straw-Rack.  Take  off  the  tailer-rack, 
pan  and  rock-shaft,  if  these  parts  be  on  the  machine.  Take 
off  the  four  straw-rack  boxes,  the  bolts  of  which  can  be 
easily  reached  with  a  socket-wrench  through  the  openings 
for  vibrating-arms.  The  rack  can  then  be  taken  out 
through  the  rear  of  the  machine. 

To  Remove  the  Grain-Conveyor.  Take  out  the  bolts 
holding  rear  straw-rack  boxes  and  fasten  rear  end  of  straw- 
rack  to  deck  of  separator.  Remove  the  rear  rock-shaft 
as  already  explained.  Then  raise  the  rear  end  of  the  con- 
veyor and  remove  the  rocker-arms  through  the  opening  in 
separator  sides.  Next,  take  out  the  bolts  in  front  con- 
veyor-boxes and  drop  the  conveyor  so  that  the  boxes  may 
be  taken  off  their  studs  on  the  rocker-arms.  The  conveyor 
can  then  be  removed  through  rear  of  separator. 


224  SCIENCE    OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

To  Remove  the  Shoe.  The  shoe  can  be  taken  out  with- 
out removing  the  straw-rack  or  conveyor.  Take  out  the 
rear  rock-shaft,  raise  the  straw-rack  and  conveyor  as  high 
as  the  deck  will  allow  and  secure  them  in  this  position. 
Disconnect  the  four  wood  hangers  and  pitmans  and  the 
shoe  may  then  be  taken  out. 

To  Reach  the  Fan.  The  lower  part  of  fan  housing  is 
readily  removed  when  it  is  necessary  to  reach  the  fan  for 
repairs  or  other  purposes.  Take  out  the  bolts  holding  the 
end  segments  and  those  at  the  joints  on  the  front  and  rear 
of  the  drum. 

Babbitting  Boxes.  To  babbitt  any  kind  of  a  box,  first 
chip  out  all  of  the  old  babbitt  and  clean  the  shaft  and  box 
thoroughly  with  benzine  or  gasoline.  It  is  necessary  that 
the  box  be  perfectly  clean  or  gas  will  be  formed  from  the 
grease  when  the  hot  metal  is  poured  in  and  thus  cause 
"blow  holes." 

A  Solid  Box  may  be  babbitted  in  the  field  by  covering 
the  shaft  with  paper.  Draw  it  smooth  and  fasten  the 
lapped  ends  with  mucilage.  If  paper  is  not  used,  the 
shrinkage  of  the  metal  in  cooling  may  make  it  fast  so  that 
the  shaft  cannot  be  turned.  When  this  happens  it  is 
sometimes  necessary  to  put  the  shaft  and  box  together  in 
the  fire  to  melt  the  babbitt  or  else  break  the  box  to  get  it 
off.  Paper  around  the  shaft  will  prevent  this  and  if  taken 
out  when  the  babbitt  has  cooled,  the  shaft  will  be  found 
to  be  just  loose  enough  to  run  well.  The  shaft  is  some- 


LUBRICATION  AND  CARE  OF  THE  SEPARATOR        225 

times  covered  with  smoke  or  painted  with  white  lead  or 
graphite  as  a  substitute  for  paper.  The  usual  shop  practice 
in  manufacturing  is  to  use  a  mandrel  or  arbor  from  one- 
one-hundredth  to  one-sixty-fourth  of  an  inch  larger  than 
the  shaft  to  be  run  in  the  bearing. 

Before  pouring  the  box,  block  up  the  shaft  until  it  is 
in  line  and  in  center  of  the  box  and  put  stiff  putty  around 
the  shaft  against  the  ends  of  the  box  to  keep  the  babbitt 
from  running  out.  Be  sure  to  leave  air-holes  at  each  end 
on  top,  making  a  little  funnel  of  putty  around  each.  Also 
make  a  larger  funnel  around  the  pouring  hole,  or,  if  there 
be  none,  enlarge  one  of  the  air-holes  and  pour  into  it. 
These  putty  funnels  should  extend  a  little  above  the  box  so 
as  to  give  pressure  to  the  babbitt  and  to  allow  the  metal 
to  fill  in,  as  it  shrinks  in  cooling.  The  metal  should  be 
heated  until  it  just  hot  enough  to  run  freely  and  the  fire 
should  not  be  too  far  away.  It  injures  the  metal  to  over- 
heat it  or  to  allow  it  to  remain  in  a  molten  state  without 
stirring.  When  the  metal  becomes  hot  enough  to  brown 
a  white-pine  stick,  or  when  it  begins  to  change  from  a 
silvery  to  a  yellowish  tinge,  is  the  best  time  to  pour.  When 
ready  to  pour  the  box,  do  not  hesitate  or  stop,  but  pour  con- 
tinuously and  rapidly  until  the  metal  appears  at  the  air 
holes.  The  oil  hole  may  be  stopped  with  a  wooden  plug 
and  if  this  plug  extends  through  far  enough  to  touch  the 
shaft,  it  will  leave  a  hole  through  the  babbitt  so  that  it  will 
not  be  necessary  to  drill  one. 

15 


226  SCIENCE    OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

A  Split  Box  is  Babbitted  in  the  same  manner  except 
that  strips  of  cardboard  or  sheet-iron  are  placed  between 
the  two  halves  of  the  box  and  against  the  shaft  to  divide 
the  babbitt.  To  allow  the  babbitt  to  run  from  the  upper 
half  to  the  lower,  cut  four  or  six  V  shaped  notches,  a  quar- 
ter of  an  inch  deep,  in  the  edges  of  the  sheet-iron  or  card- 
board which  touch  the  shaft.  Insert  three  or  four  thick- 
nesses of  cardboard  called  "liners"  between  the  halves 
of  the  box  to  allow  for  taking  up  wear.  Bolt  the  cap  on 
securely  before  pouring.  When  the  babbitt  has  cooled, 
break  the  box  apart  by  driving  a  cold  chisel  between  the 
halves.  Trim  off  the  sharp  edges  of  the  babbitt  with  a 
round-nose  chisel,  cut  oil  grooves  from  the  oil  hole  toward 
the  ends  of  the  box  and  on  the  slack  side  of  the  box  or  the 
one  opposite  to  the  direction  in  which  the  belt  pulls.  The 
shaft  may  be  covered  with  paper,  as  explained  for  a  solid 
box,  but  if  this  be  not  done,  the  babbitt  should  be  scraped 
to  fit  the  shaft  properly. 

The  ladle  should  hold  eight  or  ten  pounds  of  babbitt 
metal.  If  much  larger  it  is  awkward  to  handle  and  if  too 
small  it  will  not  keep  the  metal  hot  long  enough  to  pour  a 
good  box.  A  cast-iron  ladle  will  keep  the  metal  hot  longer 
than  a  wrought-iron  or  steel  one.  The  20  bar  cylinder 
boxes  each  take  about  six  pounds  of  metal,  and  the  12  bar 
cylinder  boxes  each  take  two  to  three  pounds.  If  no  putty 
is  at  hand,  clay  mixed  with  machine  oil  to  the  proper  con- 
sistency, may  be  used.  Use  the  best  babbitt  you  can  ob- 
tain for  the  cylinder  boxes. 


CHAPTER   IX 

FEEDING  THE  SEPARATOR 

r  •  ^HE  importance  of  having  a  separator  properly  fed 
is  less  realized  at  present  than  in  the  old  days  when 
all  machines  were  fed  by  hand  and  the  power  was 
furnished  by  horses.  Then  it  was  evident  that  some  men 
could  feed  more  grain  to  a  threshing  cylinder  in  a  given 
period,  at  the  same  time  letting  the  horses  do  their  work 
easier,  than  others  less  skilled  in  the  art  of  feeding.  To- 
day, as  in  the  past,  to  get  the  best  results  from  a  separator, 
it  must  be  fed  so  that  the  cylinder  maintains  a  uniform 
speed. 

Feeding  by  Hand.  To  become  a  good  hand  feeder,  con- 
siderable experience  and  practice  are  required.  A  good 
feeder  tips  his  bundles  well  up  against  the  cylinder  cap, 
turning  flat  bundles  up  on  edge,  and  always  holding  them 
from  the  under-side  so  that  the  cylinder  may  take  from  the 
top.  But  a  slight  movement  is  necessary  to  spread  a 
bundle,  and  in  fast  threshing,  feeding  from  both  sides,  each 
bundle  should  be  fed  almost  entirely  on  its  own  side,  keep- 
ing the  cylinder  full  its  entire  width  and  having  each 
bundle  in  position  before  the  last  of  the  preceding  bundle 
has  passed  into  the  cylinder.  A  good  feeder  will  keep 

227 


228  SCIENCE    OF    SUCCESSFUL    THRESHING 

the  straw-carrier  evenly  covered  with  straw,  and  will 
watch  the  stacker,  tailings  and  grain  elevators  and  know 
the  moment  anything  goes  wrong. 

Self-Feeders.  A  separator  equipped  with  a  feeding 
attachment  may  be  spoken  of  as  a  "self-feeder,"  but  prop- 
erly speaking,  the  attachment  itself  is  a  "feeder,"  not  a 
"self-feeder,"  because  it  feeds  the  separator,  but  does  not 
feed  itself. 

Attaching  the  Feeder.  When  necessary  to  attach  a 
feeder  in  the  field,  a  wagon  placed  in  front  of  the  separa- 
tor will  afford  a  convenient  means  of  supporting  the 
feeder  head  while  bolting  it  in  place.  When  the  head  is 
secured  in  position,  the  "notched  bottom"  and  "retarder 
bottom"  may  be  put  in  place.  The  plate  of  the  latter  must 
rest  on  top  of  the  concave  so  that  no  ledge  is  formed. 
Any  man  who  has  tried  feeding  a  cylinder  by  hand  when 
the  feed  board  had  slipped  off  the  concave,  will  under- 
stand the  importance  of  this.  The  carrier  is  held  in  the 
notches  provided  for  it  on  the  head,  by  pins.  When  all 
pulleys  are  fastened  in  place,  all  the  bearings  are  oiled 
and  the  governor  adjusted  according  to  the  directions 
given  below,  the  feeder  is  ready  to  run. 

After  attaching  a  feeder,  it  is  well  to  try  the  cylinder 
for  end-play,  for  it  may  be  that  the  ironsides  supporting 
cylinder  boxes  have  been  sprung  enough  to  cause  too 
much  end-play  or  else  press  the  boxes  so  hard  against 
the  hubs  of  the  cylinder  heads  as  to  cause  heating.  This 
is  especially  true  of  wood  separators. 


FEEDING   THE   SEPARATOR 


229 


Folding  Feeder  Carrier.  The  carrier  is  folded  out  of 
the  way  for  transportation,  but  before  doing  this,  the 
center-board  must  be  removed. 


STRAW 

OOVkf  -•'"  P 


FIG.    56.       SECTIONAL    VIEW    OF    CASE    FEEDER. 

Oiling.  The  crank-shaft  bearings  and  the  drive  belt 
tightener  stud  should  be  oiled  frequently.  The  wooden 
crank  boxes  can  not  be  oiled  while  running.  Give  these 
your  attention  whenever  the  machine  is  standing  still. 


230  SCIENCE    OF    SUCCESSFUL    THRESHING 

The  other  bearings  also  need  to  be  oiled  several  times  a 
day.  The  friction  band  of  governor  should  not  be  oiled 
after  it  becomes  smooth. 

The  Speed  Governor  drives  the  feeder  by  means  of 
a  friction  band,  which  is  clamped  over  a  friction  pulley, 
by  means  of  the  centrifugal  action  of  the  weights.  The 
spring  tension  on  these  weights  should  be  such  that  the 
feeder  will  not  start  until  cylinder  is  very  near  its  normal 
speed.  In  starting  a  new  feeder  any  paint  that  may  be 
on  the  face  of  the  friction  pulley  should  be  carefully  re- 
moved and  the  surface  scoured  with  emery-cloth  or  fine 
sand-paper  until  smooth  and  bright.  A  very  little  oil  may 
be  used  the  first  few  days,  but  when  once  properly  adjusted, 
it  will  not  require  any  further  lubrication.  The  best 
adjustment  of  the  governor  will  be  found  to  be  as  fol- 
lows: First  adjust  the  friction  band  so  that  the  weight 
arms  may  be  pulled  out  about  half  way  by  hand.  Then 
set  the  weights  about  one-half  inch  from  the  ends  of  the 
arms  and  give  the  spring  but  little  tension  when  the 
weights  are  in  and  the  band  is  loose.  The  final  adjust- 
ment of  the  spring  can  best  be  made  by  trying  it  and 
setting  it  to  suit  the  speed.  Wrench  5548T  will  be  found 
convenient  in  adjusting  the  spring. 

The  Straw  Governor  should  be  adjusted  by  the  oper- 
ator to  suit  the  rate  of  threshing  and  the  requirements  of 
the  grain.  This  is  done  by  means  of  the  thumb  nut  at  the 
top  of  the  feeder,  on  right-hand  side,  screwing  it  up  for 


FEEDING   THE    SEPARATOR  231 

more  (or  dry)  straw  and  unscrewing1  it  for  less  (or 
damp)  straw.  See  that  the  trip  pins  be  not  allowed  to 
wear  rounding-  on  the  points  so  that  they  fail  to  catch 
each  other  easily.  If  worn  rounding,  they  should  be 
reversed  end  for  end  or  else  filed  or  ground  sharp.  Do 
not  allow  the  sprocket  chain,  which  drives  carrier  and 
hopper  bottom,  to  become  slack,  as  the  proper  action  of 
the  parts  will  be  interfered  with  and  excessive  wear  and 
pounding  result. 

Speed  of  Feeder.  With  the  regular  cylinder  speed  of 
750  revolutions  for  the  20  bar  and  1075  revolutions  of 
the  12  bar  cylinders  the  knife-arm  crank  of  the  feeder 
will  make  258  revolutions  per  minute.  The  retarders 
are  driven  from  the  hopper-bottom  shaft,  either  through 
the  intermediate  retarder  sprocket  or  direct.  The  inter- 
mediate sprocket  being  reversible,  three  speeds  for  the 
retarders  may  be  obtained  for  each  speed  of  the  carrier. 
The  low  speed  is  best  suited  for  very  tough  grain  and  the 
high  speed,  when  it  is  dry  and  fluffy.  Ordinarily,  the 
best  results  are  obtained  by  running  the  crossed  drive  belt 
on  the  inner  set  of  pulleys.  The  velocity  of  the  carrier- 
rake  may  be  increased  by  using  special  sprocket  A5447T 
(8  teeth)  in  place  of  the  regular  one,  5447T  (7  teeth)  on 
the  stud-shaft. 


232  SCIENCE    OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

AVOIRDUPOIS    WEIGHT. 

16  ounces    (oz.)  =  1  pound   (lb.). 
100  Ibs.  =  1  hundredweight    (cwt.) . 

2000  Ibs.  =  1  ton. 

2240  Ibs.  =  1  long  ton. 

NOTE — The  pound  and  ounce  In  Troy  "Weight,  used  by  jewelers, 
and  in  Apothecaries'  Weight  used  by  druggists,  are  different  from 
those  given  in  the  above  table  of  Avoirdupois  Weights.  The  grain, 
however,  is  the  same  for  all.  The  Troy  and  Apothecaries'  ounce 
contains  480  grains  and  the  pound  5760  grains;  whereas,  the  Avoir- 
dupois ounce  contains  437.5  grains,  and  the  pound  7000  grains. 

DRY    MEASURE. 

2  pints  (pt.)  =  1  quart    (qt). 
8  qts.  =1  peck    (pk.). 

4  pks.  =1  bushel   (bu.). 

NOTE — The  standard  U.  S?.  (or  Winchester)  struck  bushel  con- 
tains 2150.42  cubic  inches.  A  box  a  foot  square  and  a  foot  deep 
contains  about  four-fifths  (.8035)  of  a  bushel.  The  dry  quart  con- 
tains 67.2  cu.  in. 

LIQUID   MEASURE. 

2      pints    (pt.)  =1  quart   (qt.). 

4      qts.  =1  gallon    (gal.). 

31 V2  gals.  —1  barrel   (bbl.). 

50      gals,   (approximately)  =  1  oil  bbl. 

NOTE — The  liquid  quart,  such  as  is  used  for  milk,  molasses, 
oil,  etc.,  contains  57.75  cubic  inches  and  therefore  is  considerably 
smaller  than  the  dry  quart  used  for  grains,  seeds,  fruits,  etc.  It 
would  require  about  37^  (more  exactly  37.236-)-)  liquid  quart 
measurefuls  to  fill  a  bushel  instead  of  the  32  dry  quarts.  The 
U.  S.  gallon  contains  231  cubic  inches.  The  Imperial  gallon  (used 
in  Canada)  contains  277.274  cubic  inches.  A  U.  S.  gallon  of  water 
weighs  about  8%  pounds  and  the  Imperial  gallon  weighs  10 
pounds. 

LINEAL  (OR  LONG)   MEASURE. 

12      inches    (in.)          =1  foot   (ft.). 

3      ft.  =1  yard   (yd.). 

W/2  ft.  =1  rod. 

^/2  yds.  =  1  rod. 

320      rods  (or  5280  ft.)  =  1  mile. 

368.5  rods    (or  6080.26  ft.)  =  1  knot   (used  at  sea). 

SQUARE     MEASURE. 

144      square  inches  (sq.  in.)  =  1  square  foot   (sq.  ft.). 
9      sq.  ft.  =1  square  yard  (sq.  yd.). 

30J4  sq.  yds.  or  272J4  sq.  ft.  =  1  square  rod  (sq.  rd.). 
160      sq.   rds.  =  1  acre. 

640      acres  =  1  section  or  square  mile. 

CUBIC    MEASURE. 

1728  cubic   inches    (cu.  in.)  =  l  cubic  foot  (cu.  ft.). 
27  cu.  ft.  =1  cubic  yard   (cu.  yd.). 

128  cu.  ft.  =1  cord  (of  wood,  4x4x8  ft.). 


CHAPTER  X 

THE   STRAW   STACKERS 

THE  demands  of  the  farmers  in  various  localities 
for  a  means  of  handling  straw,  especially  suited 
to  their  particular  needs,  has  led  to  the  designing 
and  building  of  several  different  devices  for  this  purpose. 
.Common  Stackers.  This  is  the  name  given  to  the 
plain  straw  carriers  which  do  not  swing.  Ordinarily  they 
are  attached  to  the  separator  and  are  hoisted  and  lowered 
by  means  of  a  rope  and  windlass.  The  short  lengths  are 
usually  in  one  section,  but  the  longer  ones  are  jointed 
so  they  may  be  folded  for  transportation.  Being  pivoted 
to  the  separator  at  a  point  near  the  ground,  a  common 
stacker  is  level  when  its  end  is  not  more  than  three  feet 
from  the  ground.  Therefore,  the  straw  will  be  dropped 
nearer  and  nearer  to  the  separator  as  the  stacker  is  ele- 
vated. This  must  be  allowed  for  in  locating  the  stack, 
which  must  be  placed  so  close  to  the  machine  that  the 
carrier,  when  elevated,  will  not  draw  away  from  the  stack, 
but  will  drop  the  straw  well  onto  it. 

The  Attached  Stacker.  This  is  the  name  given  to  the 
automatically  swinging  stacker  which  is  attached  to  the 
separator.  The  present  style  has  an  upright-section,  to 

233 


234  SCIENCE    OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

the  upper  end  of  which  the  outer  carrier  is  attached.  This 
brings  the  pivot-point  about  ten  feet  from  the  ground, 
and  since  the  outer  carrier  is  this  distance  from  the  ground 
when  level,  its  end  does  not  perceptibly  draw  away  from 
the  stack  as  it  is  elevated. 

Operating  the  Attached-Stacker.  The  carrier  of  this 
stacker  may  be  made  to  swing  automatically,  and,  as  is 
the  case  with  other  self-swinging  stackers,  the  length  or 
arc  of  swing  depends  upon  the  position  of  the  trip-pins. 
Many  stack  builders  prefer  to  swing  the  carrier  by  hand 
from  the  stack.  This  may  be  done  by  disengaging  the 
driving  apparatus.  The  carrier  of  this  stacker  should 
always  be  folded  so  as  to  rest  on  the  deck  of  the  separator, 
before  the  machine  is  moved  from  place  to  place. 

Oiling  the  Attached-Stacker.  All  of  the  gearing 
should  be  frequently  greased,  especially  the  bevel-gears 
and  the  worm-gears.  The  upright  bearing  is  oiled  through 
the  center  of  the  shaft.  All  the  other  shaft  bearings  are 
provided  with  oil-cups  which  should  be  partly  rilled  with 
a  little  wool  or  cotton-waste  and  oiled  regularly. 

Independent  Stackers.  This  is  the  name  given  to 
swinging  stackers  which  are  mounted  on  trucks  separately 
from  those  of  the  separator.  The  independent  stacker  was 
quite  universally  popular  at  one  time.  Of  late  years  the 
wind  and  other  swinging  stackers  have  replaced  it  very 
generally. 

The  Wind  Stacker  has  steadily  increased  in  popularity 


TH£   STRAW   STACKERS 


235 


until  today  there  are  more  of  them  sold  than  of  all  the 
various  other  varieties  of  stackers  combined.  The  wind 
stacker  has  always  been  a  favorite  with  the  threshermen 


FIG.  57.       SECTIONAL  VIEW   OF   WIND   STACKER. 

because  of  its  freedom  from  "trappy"  features,  the  absence 
of  dust  and  litter  about  the  separator  equipped  with  it, 
and  the  ease  with  which  the  chute  is  swung  around  on  the 
deck  of  separator  for  transportation. 

Operating  the   Wind  Stacker.     To  make  the  chute 


236 


SCIENCE    OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 


swing  automatically,  the  two-inch  belt  must  be  put  on 
to  drive  the  turret  and  if  the  clutch  be  engaged,  the  tur- 
ret will  slowly  revolve,  carrying  the  chute  with  it.  It  may 
be  made  to  go  in  the  opposite  direction  or  stopped  at  any 
time.  Rivets  are  used  as  trip-pins  and  these  will  cause 
stacker  to  reverse  its  swing  automatically.  Any  desired 


TELESCOPING   DEVICE   FOR   STRAW-CHUTE. 


T 

FIG.     58. 

arc  of  swing  is  obtained  by  placing  the  trip-pins  in  the 
different  holes  in  the  main  worm-wheel.  The  machine 
should  never  be  moved  until  the  chute  rests  in  its  support. 
If  not  desired  to  use  the  automatic  movement,  the  two- 
inch  belt  may  be  left  off. 

To  make  the  stacker  drive  belt  run  in  the  center  of  the 
stacker  pulley,  place  a  little  card-board  under  the  front 
part  of  the  idler  bracket  to  make  the  belt  run  closer  to  the 
machine,  or  under  the  rear  part  of  idler  bracket  to  make 
the  belt  run  farther  out.  Underlaying  the  bracket  above 


THE   STRAW   STACKERS  237 

or  below  so  as  to  raise  the  outer  or  the  inner  edge 
of  the  idler  pulley,  will  not  change  the  position  of  the  belt 
on  the  pulley  It  must  be  put  under  the  front  or  rear  part 
to  accomplish  the  desired  result,  as  this  will  divert  the 
course  of  the  belt  slightly  on  its  way  to  the  pulley. 

Stack  Building  with  Wind  Stacker.  Where  it  is  desir- 
able to  stack  the  straw  so  as  to  preserve  it,  the  wind  stacker 
must  be  handled  by  a  competent  man.  In  starting  the 
stack,  bring  the  chute  about  level,  extend  it  to  its  full 
length,  raise  the  hood  slightly,  and  build  the  back  of  the 
stack  first.  Always  keep  the  farther  side  of  the  stack 
highest.  Make  the  stack  bottom  at  least  one-third  smaller 
than  would  be  done  were  it  built  by  hand,  and  allow  the 
straw  chute  to  oscillate.  It  is  very  important  that  the 
farther  side  of  the  stack  be  kept  highest,  as  it  furnishes 
a  back  wall  to  stop  the  force  of  the  straw.  A  good  rule 
to  follow  is:  "Always  throw  the  straw  onto  the  stack 
and  not  over  it."  In  topping  out,  allow  the  straw  to  strike 
the  top  and  glance  over  it ;  in  this  way  the  farther  side  of 
the  stack  will  be  filled  out  and  the  straw  will  be  prevented 
from  rolling  down  or  going  over  too  far.  When  the 
straw  chute  is  at  the  corner  of  the  stack,  raise  and  lower 
hood  quickly,  thereby  distributing  the  straw  and  binding 
ths  corner. 

Lubricating  the  Wind  Stacker.  Keep  the  bearings 
of  the  driving  shafts  well  lubricated  with  hard  oil,  espe- 
cially the  one  next  to  the  pulley.  The  bevel-gears  driving 
fan  on  geared  stackers  must  be  kept  well  greased.  All 


238  SCIENCE    OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

the  bearings  and  worm  gears  of  the  automatic  device  for 
swinging  the  straw  chute  should  be  oiled. 

Speed  of  Stacker  Fan.  It  is  desirable  to  keep  the  speed 
of  the  wind-stacker  fan  as  low  as  possible,  not  only  because 
it  makes  good  stack  building  easier,  but  also  because  it 
requires  less  power  to  run.  On  page  516  of  "Kent's 
Pocket-Book"  an  example  is  given  of  a  fan  which  took 
.25  H.  P.  to  drive  at  a  speed  of  600  r.  p.  m.  The  same 
fan  required  .70  H.  P.,  or  nearly  three  times  as  much 
when  the  speed  was  increased  to  800. 

Combination-Stackers.  The  combination-stacker  has 
been  made  because  of  the  demand  for  a  stacker  that  would 
give  the  thresherman  all  the  advantages  of  the  simplicity 
and  freedom  from  litter  of  the  wind-stacker,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  give  the  farmer,  who  desires  to  have  his  straw 
stacked  by  men  placed  on  the  stack,  a  stacker  which  de- 
livers the  straw  onto  the  stack  by  means  of  an  ordinary 
carrier  and  carrier-rake. 

Attaching  the  Combination-Stacker.  Up  to  the  point 
of  putting  on  the  turret,  this  stacker  is  attached  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  wind-stacker.  The  turret,  however, 
which  has  the  mechanism  for  driving  the  rake,  in  addition 
to  the  parts  used  on  the  wind-stacker,  is  attached  eight 
inches  higher  than  that  of  the  wind-stacker,  in  order  to 
bring  the  carrier  sufficiently  high  to  swing  clear  of  the 
deck  of  the  separator.  Holes  are  provided  in  the  posts 
of  the  frame  for  attaching  the  turret  in  the  positions  re- 
quired by  either  the  combination  or  wind-stacker.  After 


THE   STRAW    STACKERS  239 

the  turret  is  in  place,  and  the  two  sections  of  the  carrier 
bolted  together,  the  carrier  may  be  attached.  This  is  con- 
veniently done  by  placing  it  in  position  upon  the  deck  of 
the  separator,  as  for  transportation.  The  hoisting  cables, 
sprockets,  chain,  hand-wheels  for  operating  and  the  car- 
rier-rake may  now  be  put  on.  The  presser-strips  are 
hinged  to  the  hinged-screen  at  one  end,  their  outer  end 
being  carried  by  leather  straps. 

Operating  the  Combination-Stacker.  This  stacker  re- 
ceives its  swing  movement  in  the  same  manner  as  the 
wind-stacker.  The  hoisting  mechanism  is  self-locking 
so  the  carrier  cannot  fall.  The  presser-strips  hold  the 
straw  against  the  carrier-rake,  thereby  making  it  possible 
to  elevate  the  carrier  to  an  angle  of  about  forty-five  de- 
grees. The  carrier  should  always  be  swung  onto  the  deck 
of  the  separator  before  moving  the  machine  from  place 
to  place.  Stack-builders,  who  are  unfamiliar  with  this 
stacker,  should  be  cautioned  against  starting  the  stack  too 
far  under  the  carrier  as  it  does  not  pull  away  from  the 
stack  until  elevated  to  a  considerable  height. 

Oiling  the  Combination-Stacker.  The  bearings  of  the 
jack  and  upright-shafts  are  fitted  with  compression-cups 
for  hard-oil.  These  may  be  turned  up  as  often  as  neces- 
sary to  give  sufficient  lubrication.  The  bevel-gears  driv- 
ing the  fan  should  be  greased.  The  turret  mechanism 
driving  the  carrier-rake  should  be  oiled  occasionally.  The 
intermediate-gear-ring,  and  the  two  small  pinions  meshing 
with  it,  should  be  greased. 


240 


SCIENCE    OP    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 


WEIGHT   PER   BUSHEL   OF   GRAIN. 


The  following  table  gives  the  number  of  pounds  per  bushel 
required  by  law  or  custom  in  the  sale  of  grain  or  seeds  in  the 
several  states : 


K 
V 
U 

w 

1 

Buckwheat 

£ 

o 

0 

K 
a 

E 

t> 

1 

2 
a 
O 

V 

X 

M 

c 

c3 

•a 

V 

1 

in 

Timothy 

8 

J3 

Arkansas  . 

48 

60 

52 

60 

56 

56 

45 

60 

50 

40 

32 

54 

52 

60 

Connecticut 

45 

32 

56 

56 

56 

Dist.   Columbia.  . 

47 

62 

48 

60 

32 

56 

56 

45 

60 

Georgia  
Illinois  

40 
48 

'6(J' 

'52' 

60 
60 

'56 

45 

35 
32 

56 
56 

56 
56 

45 

60 
60 

Indiana  

48 

60 

50 

60 

32 

56 

56 

45 

60 

Iowa  

48 

60 

52 

60 

56 

48 

32 

56 

56 

45 

60 

Kansas 

50 

60 

50 

32 

56 

56 

45 

60 

Kentucky  

48 

60 

52 

60 

56 

32 

56 

56 

45 

60 

3-? 

32 

fi6 

60 

Maine 

48 

64 

48 

30 

56 

60 

Manitoba  

48 

48 

60 

56 

34 

34 

56 

56 

60 

Maryland  . 

48 

64 

48 

32 

56 

56 

45 

60 

Massachusetts 

48 

48 

32 

56 

M 

60 

Michigan  

48 

48 

60 

56 

32 

56 

56 

45 

60 

Minnesota  

48 

60 

42 

60 

48 

32 

56 

56 

60 

Missouri  

48 

60 

52 

60 

56 

50 

32 

56 

56 

45 

60 

Nebraska  

48 

60 

52 

60 

34 

56 

56 

45 

60 

New  York  

48 

6? 

48 

60 

32 

56 

5S 

44 

60 

New  Jersey. 

48 

50 

64 

30 

56 

56 

60 

New  Hampshire 

60 

30 

56 

56 

60 

North  Carolina 

48 

50 

64 

30 

56 

54 

60 

North  Dakota.  .  . 
Ohio  

48 
48 

'6<V 

42 
50 

60 
60 

56 

32 
32 

56 

50 

56 
56 

'45 

60 
60 

Oklahoma  
Orepon   

48 
46 

42 
42 

60 
60 

56 

32 
36 

56 

56 

56 
56 

60 
60 

Pennsylvania 

47 

48 

62 

30 

5<> 

56 

60 

South  Dakota.  .  . 
South  Carolina 

48 
48 

'6lV 

52 
56 

60 

60 

56 

50 

32 
33 

56 
56 

56 

56 

.... 

60 
60 

Vermont  

48 

64 

48 

60 

32 

5ii 

56 

42 

60 

Virginia 

48 

60 

48 

64 

32 

56 

5»i 

4") 

60 

^^pst  Virginia 

48 

60 

52 

60 

32 

56 

56 

45 

60 

\Visconsin 

48 

48 

60 

32 

56 

56 

60 

CHAPTER  XI 

THE   GRAIN   HANDLERS 

THE  devices  used  to  take  the  grain  from  the  grain 
auger  and  deliver  it  into  sacks  or  into  wagons,  as 
the  case  may  be,   are  called  "grain  handlers." 
These  are  made  in  several  styles,  some  of  which,  in  addi- 
tion to  elevating  the  grain,  weigh  it  and  automatically 
record  the  number  of  bushels  threshed. 

The  weight  of  a  given  quantity  of  grain  varies  accord- 
ing to  the  kind  and  quality.  Although  almost  universally 
sold  by  the  bushel,  the  number  of  bushels  is  determined 
by  weight  so  that  the  grain  is  actually  sold  by  the  pound. 
For  example,  if  the  price  of  wheat  be  one  dollar  per 
bushel,  one  dollar  will  purchase  sixty  pounds  of  wheat. 
Sixty  pounds  of  heavy  wheat  will  not  fill  a  bushel  measure, 
but  this  weight  of  light  wheat  will  more  than  fill  the 
measure.  In  the  days  when  there  were  no  grain  handlers, 
and  the  grain  from  the  separator  was  delivered  into  half- 
bushel  or  bushel  measures,  it  was  usually  customary  to 
give  "big  measure."  By  this  method,  were  a  farmer  to 
sell  all  of  his  grain,  he  would  receive  pay  for  a  greater 
number  of  bushels  than  he  paid  the  thresherman  for  thresh- 
ing it.  This  custom  of  giving  "big  measure"  in  threshing, 
16  241 


242  SCIENCE    OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

undoubtedly  grew  out  of  the  fact  that  it  was  necessary  to 
heap  the  measure  in  order  to  make  the  light  grain  "hold 
out."  Since  the  measuring  was  done  by  someone  who 
looked  out  for  the  interests  of  the  farmer  rather  than 
those  of  the  thresherman,  the  measures  were  usually 
heaped  with  all  that  they  would  hold,  and  in  some  cases, 
even  tamped  in  order  to  make  them  hold  more.  This, 
of  course,  was  unfair  to  the  thresherman.  The  thresher- 
man should  insist  on  pay  for  every  bushel  by  weight,  as 
he  would  do,  were  he  selling  the  grain.  When  engaging 
the  threshing,  he  should  tell  the  farmer  of  his  intention 
to  do  this,  and  then  adjust  the  price  accordingly.  Since 
the  weighing  attachments  accurately  weigh  and  auto- 
matically record  the  number  of  bushels  threshed,  all  fair- 
minded  men  must  admit  that  the  use  of  one  insures  a 
record  of  the  amount  threshed  that  is  correct  and  fair 
to  both  thresherman  and  farmer.  The  prejudice  against 
weighers  that  formerly  existed,  because  of  the  custom  of 
giving  "big  measure,"  has  gradually  disappeared  until 
they  have  come  into  almost  universal  use.  Their  accuracy 
was  at  first  often  doubted,  but  in  many  cases  the  weigher's 
record  of  a  certain  amount  of  grain  has  been  compared 
with  the  weight  of  the  same  grain  on  standard  scales  and 
found  to  correspond  very  closely. 

Tlie  No.  i  WeigJier  consists  of  an  elevator  permanently 
attached  to  the  left  side  of  the  separator,  the  weighing 
apparatus,  and  a  conveyor  across  the  deck  of  the  separa- 


THE   GRAIN    HANDLERS 


243 


tor.  The  cross-conveyor  is  of  sufficient  height  to  deliver 
the  grain  into  a  wagon  box  on  either  side  of  the  machine. 
The  purchaser  of  a  No.  I  weigher  is  given  the  choice  of 
two  plain  spouts 
for  delivering 
the  grain  in  bulk 
into  wagon 
boxes,  or  of  the 
bagging  attach- 
ment for  deliv- 
ering the  grain 
into  sacks. 
(This  bagging 
attachment  has 
twin-spouts  t  o 
allow  putting  on 
the  empty  sack 
before  removing 
the  full  one.) 
The  No.  i 
weigher  requires  no  folding  for  moving  on  the  road,  and 
is  no  higher  than  other  parts  of  the  separator.  For  these 
reasons  it  is  largely  used  in  localities  in  which  the  thresh- 
ing is  done  principally  in  and  around  barns.  It  is  one  of 
the  most  popular  of  the  grain  handlers. 

When  "skittish"  horses  are  used  on  the  grain  wagons, 
it  is  a  wise  precaution  to  place  a  fence  post  or  log  on  the 


FIG.   59.      HEAD  OF  CASE  WEIGHER. 


244  SCIENCE    OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

ground  so  that  in  backing,  the  rear  wheels  of  the  wagon 
will  come  against  the  log  before  striking  and  damaging 
the  machine. 

The  No.  2  Weigher  is  also  called  the  "Dakota  style 
weigher."  The  elevator  is  so  high  that  the  grain  is  suffi- 
ciently elevated  to  be  delivered  by  the  long  spout  on  either 
side  of  the  machine.  In  this  way  the  cross  conveyor  is 
dispensed  with.  As  the  spout  is  long,  it  will  hold  con- 
siderable grain  so  that  the  exchange  of  sacks  may  be  made 
in  fast  threshing,  without  danger  of  choking  the  elevator 
by  obstructing  its  delivery.  The  grain  may  be  delivered 
in  bulk  into  wagons  driven  along  side  the  separator  as 
the  end  of  the  spout  is  a  sufficient  distance  from  the  sep- 
arator to  make  it  unnecessary  to  back  the  wagon  up  to 
the  machine.  Where  grain  is  to  be  sacked,  an  empty  sta- 
tionary wagon  may  be  used  to  sack  in,  thus  avoiding  the 
necessity  of  lifting  the  sacks  of  grain  into  the  wagon  which 
hauls  them  away.  The  long  spout  is  provided  with  hooks 
to  hold  the  sacks.  The  No.  2  weigher  is  used  very  gen- 
erally in  the  localities  where  the  threshing  is  done  in  the 
open  field.  It  is  the  only  suitable  grain-handler  for  use 
in  connection  with  portable-bins,  such  as  are  used  in  the 
Northwest.  The  spout  is  long  enough  to  deliver  the  grain 
into  these  bins  and  the  weighing  apparatus  automatically 
records  the  number  of  bushels. 

The  No.  3  Weighing-Bagger.  This  attachment  is  in- 
tended for  use  in  putting  the  grain  into  sacks  on  the 


THE   GRAIN    HANDLERS  245 

ground  and  it  can  be  used  only  on  the  left-hand  side  of 
the  separator.  It  has  the  same  weighing  mechanism  as 
the  No.  i  and  No.  2  weighers. 

The  No.  4  Bagger.  This  grain-handler  does  not  weigh 
the  threshed  grain,  but  is  used  simply  to  elevate  it  to  a 
sufficient  height  to  run  into  sacks.  It  is  often  desirable 
to  change  the  bagger  from  one  side  to  the  other  on  account 
of  the  wind  or  for  other  reasons.  In  doing  this,  it  is 
necessary  to  change  the  drive  to  the  other  side  as  the  belt 
driving  must  always  be  on  the  side  opposite  the  elevator. 
The  direction  in  which  the  auger  runs  must  also  be  re- 
versed and  this  is  accomplished  by  running  the  drive-belt 
crossed,  when  the  elevator  is  on  the  left-hand  side  of 
the  separator,  and  straight  when  on  the  right-hand  side. 

The  No.  5  Loader.  This  attachment  serves  the  same 
general  purpose  as  the  No.  2  weigher,  except  that  it  does 
not  weigh  the  grain. 

The  No.  6  Loader  is  similar  to  the  No.  I  weigher,  but 
has  no  weighing  mechanism.  For  those  who  desire  to 
sack  on  the  ground  it  may  be  used  in  place  of  the  No.  4. 
The  delivery  of  the  grain  may  be  changed  from  one  side 
of  the  separator  to  the  other  by  simply  throwing  a  lever. 
It  may  be  used  to  run  the  grain  into  a  wagon  box  in  bulk 
or  into  sacks  in  wagons  as  desired,  as  was  explained  for 
the  No.  i  weigher.  Note  suggestion  under  No.  I  weigher 
concerning  skittish  horses. 

Attaching  Grain-Handlers.    All  of  the  "Case"  grain- 


246  SCIENCE    OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

handlers  require  a  left-hand  grain  auger.  When  it  is 
desired  to  attach  one  of  these  elevators  to  separators  built 
previous  to  the  year  1899,  which  were  fitted  with  the  right- 
hand  grain  augers,  it  is  necessary  to  replace  the  old  auger 
by  a  left-hand  one,  or  the  attachment  will  not  work. 

What  to  do  when  Weigher  Fails  to  Dump.  It  is 
seldom  that  the  weighing  mechanism  fails  to  work  prop- 
erly, but  it  may  do  so  from  several  causes.  Some  of  the 
parts  may  be  sprung  out  of  shape  from  careless  handling, 
causing  them  to  bind  or  work  hard.  In  case  the  weighing 
hopper  does  not  dump  each  time  it  is  filled  with  the  amount 
of  grain  the  weight  is  set  for,  first  see  that  the  hopper 
moves  freely  up  and  down.  Malleable  Trip  Bracket 
I48CW  or  its  guide  may  have  become  sprung  so  that  they 
do  not  engage  freely.  The  trip-pin  in  end  of  I48CW 
should  disengage  readily  from  trip-dog  I3CW  and  it  may 
require  filing  to  make  it  do  so.  It  should  lap  about  one- 
eighth  inch  on  the  dog.  The  weight  and  scale-beam  must 
move  freely  without  catching  or  rubbing  on  any  stationary 
part  and  end  of  beam  must  strike  Rest  1 5oCW  when  down. 
The  Trip  Crank  2oCW  must  be  past  its  dead-center  when 
the  trip-pin  rests  against  the  dog,  so  that  the  weight  of 
the  cut-off  (isCW  and  i6CW)  will  revolve  the  shaft 
and  engage  the  worm  as  soon  as  the  trip-dog  is  released 
by  the  downward  movement  of  the  hopper.  The  vertical 
shaft  must  turn  freely,  except  when  stopped  by  the  trip- 
pin.  The  chain  should  be  of  such  a  length  that  it  allows 


THE   GRAIN    HANDLERS  247 

the  cut-off  to  fully  close  when  the  trip-crank  is  at  its  ex- 
treme throw. 

Caution  Regarding  the  Sprocket-Chain.  The  chain  in 
the  elevators  of  all  the  grain-handlers  must  be  kept  prop- 
erly adjusted.  Since  they  are  driven  from  the  bottom, 
when  the  chain  is  too  loose,  it  does  not  hug  the  sprocket 
properly  and  wears  unnecessarily.  On  the  other  hand 
the  chain  should  not  be  so  tight  as  to  be  in  tension,  for 
this  causes  unnecessary  friction  and  the  consequent  wear 
on  the  chain  and  shafts.  A  worn  chain  that  is  liable  to 
come  apart  can  have  its  usefulness  prolonged.  The  hook 
of  each  link  may  be  closed  by  hammering  its  point,  while 
its  back  rests  on  the  horn  of  an  anvil  or  similar  projection. 
In  this  way  the  chain  may  be  kept  free  from  danger  of 
unhooking  until  worn  so  that  it  fails  from  weakness. 
When  necessary  to  shorten  the  chain,  always  remove  two 
links  at  a  time  so  that  an  odd  number,  three  or  five,  of 
plain  links  remain  between  the  cups  or  "fiights,"  as  they 
are  called.  This  is  necessary  because  the  lower  sprocket 
has  teeth  engaging  only  alternate  links  of  the  chain  and 
the  links  with  flights  attached  must  skip  the  teeth.  This 
does  not  apply  to  the  tailings-elevator  chain,  as  elsewhere 
explained. 

'  Calculating  a  Quantity  of  Grain.  Where  a  weigher  is 
not  used,  the  amount  of  grain  in  a  wagon-box,  portable  bin 
or  in  any  rectangular  receptacle,  may  be  calculated  as  fol- 
lows :  Determine  the  length,  width  and  height  in  inches, 


248  SCIENCE  OF    SUCCESSFUL   THRESHING 

multiply  them  together  and  divide  the  product  by  2150,* 
the  number  of  cubic-inches  in  a  bushel.  The  quotient  will 
be  the  number  of  bushels.  Where  the  depth  is  not  uni- 
form, several  measurements  should  be  taken  and  their 
average  used.  For  example,  the  usual  wagon-box  is  36 
inches  wide,  124  inches  long  and  16  inches  deep  inside. 
Therefore,  when  level  full,  it  holds:  36X124X16, 
divided  by  2150  equals  33.22  bushels.  This  equals  2.07 
bushels  for  each  inch  of  depth.  In  the  same  manner,  the 
forty-inch  wagon-box  will  hold:  40  X  124  X  16,  divided 
by  2150,  equals  36.91  bushels,  or  2.37  bushels  for  each 
inch  in  depth.  This  method  of  calculating  the  quantity  of 
grain  gives  the  correct  result  only  when  the  grain  is  stand- 
ard weight,  and  when  lighter  or  heavier,  correction  should 
be  made  accordingly.  The  weight  per  bushel  of  grain  and 
seeds  is  given  on  page  240. 

*More  exactly,  2,150.42. 


INDEX 

FOR  CONTENTS  AND  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS   SEE  PAGES  4  AND  5. 


Page 

Adjusting  Connecting  Rod  .     50 

Adjusting  Cross-Head    52 

Adjusting  Eccentric  Strap..  54 
Adjusting  Engine  Bearing  50-54 
Adjusting  "Friction  Clutch  .  124 
Adjusting  Horse  Power  .  . .  135 
Adjusting  Tailings  Elevator  176 

Adjustable   Sieves    170 

Admission,    Steam    67 

Alfalfa,    Threshing    199 

Alsike   Clover    199 

Ascending  Hills    62 

Ascertaining  Cylinder  Speed  155 

Ashes,  Removing  the 41 

Asphaltum  Paint   113 

Attached  Stacker   233 

Attached  Stacker,  Oiling  . .  234 
Attached  Stacker,  Operating  234 
Attaching  Horse  Power 

Brake    138 

Attaching  Combined  Stacker  238 
Attaching  Engine  Fittings.  9 

Attaching  Feeder    228 

Attaching  Grain   Handlers..    245 

Attaching  Oil    Pump 46 

Attaching  Lubricator    48 


Babbitting  Boxes    224 

Babbitting  Cannon    Bearings  56 

Babbitting  Eng.  Bearings    .  .  4 

Babbitting  Solid    Box    224 

Babbitting  Split    Box    226 

Bagger,  No.   4    244 

Balancing  Separator  Cyl. ...  159 

Barley,  Threshing    186 

Beading  Boiler  Tubes    115 

Bean  Pulleys     194 

Bean   Threshing    193 

Bt-an    Threshing,    Soy 193 

Bearings,   Adjusting   Engine.. 54 


Page 

Bearings,  Adjustment  of  ...     50 
Bearings,  Babbitting      Can- 
non          56 

Bearings,    Babbitting    Eng..      54 

Bearings,   Engine     50-54 

Bearings,  Hot     219 

Bearings,  Lubricating  Eng.  43 
Bearings,  Separator  Cyl....  156 

Beater    162 

Beater,  Removing  the 222 

Belt,   Governor    73 

Belt,  How    to    Cross 61 

Belt,  Main  Drive 212 

Belting  of  a  Separator 210 

Btlts,  Care  of   211 

Belts,  Lacing     213-218 

Belts,  Lacing    Canvas '216 

Belts,  Leather     211 

Belts,  Length   of    206 

Belts,  List  of 206 

Belts,  Rubber    211 

Blinds,   Fan    169 

Blower,  The     HO 

Blower  (see  Wind  Stacker) 

Board,  Check     163 

Board,  Wind    170 

Bolter.  The   107 

Boiler,  Cleaning  the   H3 

Boiler,   Fittings     107 

Boiler,  Foaming   Ill 

Boiler,  How  to  Test 117-119 

Boiler,  Paint      H3 

Boiler,  Pressure   in   an   Old..  117 

Boiler,  Priming     H2 

Boiler,  Temp,  of  Water  In..  120 
Boiler,  Temp,  of  Steam  in..  120 
Boiler,  Tubes,  Expanding  .  115 

Boiler,  Using  an  Old    117 

Bourdon  Tube   108 

Boxes,  Babbitting    224 

Boxes,  Babbitting   Solid    ...    224 


249 


Page 

Boxes,  Babbitting    Split 226 

Boxes,  Separator   Cylinder..  156 

Brake,  Horse  Power 78 

Brake  for  Horse  Power 138 

Brake,  Prony     78 

Brass   Fittings,  Attaching. .  9 

Brasses,  Connecting  Rod    .  .  50 

Brasses,  Eccentric  Rod   ....  53 

Brick  Arch  37 

Broken  Water  Glass 20 

Burning  Coal     33 

Burning  Cobs    40 

Burning  Oil    39 

Burning  Straw    35 

Burning  "Wood    34 

Brome    Grass,    Threshing...  202 

Buckwheat,  Threshing 189 

Bull-Pinion  Boxes   137 

Bull-Pinion   Shaft    137 


Cable,  Use  of 64 

Calculating  Horse  Power...  81 
Calculating  Amount  Grain..  247 
Cannon  Bearings,  Oiling...  121 

Canvas  Cover    222 

Canvas  Belt,   Stitched    216 

Care  of  Separator   221 

Center-Head,  Packing    87 

Center-Head,  To   Test    88 

Centers,   Finding  the  Dead.      93 

Chaffer     171 

Chain  for  Grain  Handlers..  246 
Chains  for  Eng.,  Steering..  60 
Chains  for  Tailings  Elev. . .  176 

Check-Board    163 

Check-Valve     28 

Check-Valve,   Regrinding. . .     29 

Cleaning  Apparatus    169 

Cleaning  Boilers    113 

Cleaning  Tubes     115 

Clearance  of   Engine    68 

Clearance,   To  Divide 68 

Clinkers     34 

Clover,  Hulling 198 

Clutch.  Friction    123 

Clutch,  Friction,  Adjusting.  124 
Clutch,  Friction,  Oiling  ...  125 
Coal,  Firing  with  33 


Page 

Cobs,   Firing  with 40 

Cobs,  Fuel  Value  of 41 

Combination   Stackers    238 

Combination      Stacker,     At- 
taching      238 

Combination  Stacker,  Oiling  239 
Combination  Stacker,    Oper- 
ating       239 

Common  Sieve     171 

Common  Sieves,  List  of 174 

Common  Sieve,  To    Insert    .  172 

Common  Stacker    233 

Compound  Cyl.,  Taking 

Apart    86 

Compound,  The  Woolf 85 

Compounded  Engines   84 

Compounded  Valve,  Setting.  102 

Compression,   Steam    67 

Concaves,  Adjustment   of    . .  161 

Concaves,  Setting   the    160 

Concavnes,  Special     161 

Concaves,  The     160 

Connecting  the    Equalizers.  133 

Connecting  Rod    50 

Connecting  Rod  Brasses   ...  50 

Conveyor  Boxes      168 

Conveyor  Extension    171 

Conveyor,  Removing   the    . .  223 

Conveyor,  Sieve  Speed 167 

Conveyor,  The     167 

Contents  of  Wagon  Box   . . .  248 

Cost  of  Oils  45 

Covers,  Nailed    Pulley    209 

Covers,  Riveted   Pulley    ....  209 

Cracking   Grain    157 

Crank  Disc 70 

Crank   Pin    70 

Cross-Head,  Adjusting 52 

Cross-Head  Shoes    52 

Crown  Sheet,  Warped 17 

Cup,   "Ideal  Grease"    45 

Cushion,    Steam    67 

Cut-Off,   Steam    67 

Cut-Off  for  Woolf  Gear,  EVBD  101 

Cylinder,  Balancing    Sep...  159 

Cylinder    Boxes,    Sep 156 

Cylinder,  End   Play   of   Sep.  156 

Cylinder,  Engine    65 


250 


Page 

Cylinder,  Lubrication  of  En- 
gine       44 

Cylinder  Oil,   Cost  of 45 

Cylinder    Pulleys,     Sep 155 

Cylinder,  Separator     153 

Cylinder,  Special  Separator.  159 
Cylinder    Speed,     Ascertain- 
ing       155 

Cylinder,  Speed   of   Sep 155 

Cylinder    Teeth,     Separator.  153 
Cylinder    Teeth  Tracking 

Separator    157 

D 

Dead-Centers,   Finding    ....  93 

Descending    Hills    63 

Differential  Gear     126 

Differential  Gear,  Locking..  127 

Differential  Gear,  Oiling     . .  128 

Disturbing    Valve    Settings.  96 

Dividing    Clearance    68 

Draft,  Forced    110 

Draft,  Natural     110 

Draw  Bar  Horse   Power....  81 

Drawing   Taper   Keys    209 

Dressing  for  Belts    211 

E 

Eccentric   Strap,   Adjusting.  53 

Elevator,  Tailings   173 

Emmer,    Threshing    190 

End-Play,    Separator   Cyl...  156 

Engine,  Compounded    84 

Engine,  Fittings    for    9 

Engines,  Handling   the    ....  59 

Engine,  Horse    Power    of...  81 

Engine,  Oiling  the    43 

Engine     Packed     for     Ship- 
ment           9 

Engine,  Setting   the    61 

Engine,  Speed  of   73 

Engine,  Starting  an    11 

Engine  on  Road,  Starting..  12 

Engine,  Steaming   Up    10 

Engine,  Steering    60 

Engine    Tender     129 

Engine,  Valve  Gear    89 

Equal   Leads,   Woolf  Gear..  102 


E 

Page 

Equalizers,  Connecting  the.  133 

Exhaust  Nozzles    42 

Exhaust   Ports    66 

Expansion  of  Steam 66 

Expanding  Boiler  Tubes   ...  115 

Extension,    The    Conveyor..  171 


Fan,  The     

Fan  Blinds   

Fan,  Removing   the    

Fan,  Speed  of   

Fan,  To    Reach    

Feather  Keys 

Feeder,  Attaching    

Feeder    Carrier,    Folding    . . 

Feeder    Governor     

Feeder,  Oiling    the    

Feeder,  Self     

Feeder,  Speed  of   

Feeder    Speed    Governor. . . . 
Feeder    Straw    Governor..., 

Feeding    by  Hand   

Feeding    the  Separator 

Feed  "Water  Heaters     

Feed  Water  Straining 

Feed  "Water,  The    

Figuring  the  Horse  Power.. 
Finding  the  Dead     Centers. 

Fire,  In   Case   of    

Fire,  Starting    

Firing  with  Coal     

Firing  with  Cobs     

Firing  with  Oil     

Firing  with   Straw    

Firing  with  Wo'od     , 

Firing  with  Various    Fuels. 

Fittings   for  Boiler    , 

Fittings,   Attaching  Brass.. 

Fitting  up  an  Engine   

Flax,    Threshing    

Flues,  Cleaning   the    

Flues,  Expanding   the    

Foaming  of  Boiler    

Folding  Feeder  Carrier 

Friction-Clutch     

Friction-Clutch,    Adjusting. 

Friction-Clutch,  Oiling    

Fuel,  Coal     


169 

169 

224 

170 

224 

207 

228 

229 

230 

229 

228 

231 

230 

230 

227 

227 

29 

15 

15 

81 

93 

152 

10 

33 

40 

39 

35 

34 

33 

107 

9 

9 

188 
115 
115 
111 
229 
123 
125 
125 
33 


251 


F 

Page 

Fuel,  Cobs    40 

Ftrel,  Oil    38 

Fuel,  Straw    35 

Fuel,  Wood     34 

Fusible   Plug    17,  110 


Gage  Cocks    19 

Gage,  Glass    18 

Gage,  Steam     107 

Gage,   "Water    18 

Gear,  Differential     124 

Gear,    Locking    Differential.  127 

Gear,    Oiling    Differential...  128 

Gear,  Valve    89 

Gearing,  Lubricating  the    ..  122 

Gearing,  Traction    121 

Glass,  The   Water    18 

Governor,  Engine     72 

Governor,  Adjusting    Feeder  230 

Governor,  Belt    for    Engine.  73 

Governor  Jumps,   If  Engine  74 

Governor,  Oiling   the    73 

Governor,  Packing    73 

Governor,  Speed  of  Engine.  73 

Governor,  Speed   of  Feeder.  230 

Governor  Troubles     74 

Grain,  Calculating  Am't  of.  246 

Grain    Conveyor,     Removing  223 

Grain   Handlers    241 

Grain  Handlers,    Attaching.  245 

Grain    Handlers,   Chain   for.  246 

Grain,  Headed     181 

Grain,  Quantity   of    247 

Grain,  Threshing     181 

Grain,  Weight  per  Bushel..  240 

Grain,  Weighers    of    241 

Grdtes,  Rocking   41 

Grates,  Separator     163 

Grates,  Warped    Engine    ...  33 

Gravel    Hills    63 

Grease  Cup,   "Ideal" 45 

Greasing  the   Trucks    220 

Grouters,  High   64 


Page 

Handling   the   Engine    59 

Hard  Oil    45 

Heater  for  Feed  Water 29 

Heater,  Testing    31 

Heater,  Repairing    31 

Hills,  Ascending     62 

Hills,  Descending     63 

Hills,  Gravel    63 

Holes,  Mud  63 

Horse  Power,  Brake     78 

Horse  Power,  Calculating  .  81 
Horse  Power,  Draw  Bar  ..  81 
Horse  Power  of  an  Engine  81 
Horse  Power,  Indicated  ...  78 

Horse  Power,  Rated     75 

Horse  Powers    131 

Horse  Powers,  Adjusting  ..  135 
Horse  Powers,  Brake  for  ...  138 
Horse  Powers,  Bull  Pinion 

for     139 

Horse  Powers,  Equalizers  for  133 
Horse  Powers,  Jacks  for  ...  135 
Horse  Powers,  Horses  for  131-140 
Horse  Powers,  Lubricating  ..  132 
Horse  Powers,  Parts  for  . . .  142 

Horse  Powers,  Reversing 138 

Horse  Powers,  Setting     131 

Horse  Powers,  Pinions  for..  134 
Horse  Powers,  Starting  ....  131 

Horses,  Work  of   140 

Hot    Bearings    219 

Hulling    Clover    .   198 


"Ideal"   Grease   Cup    45 

Independent  Pump    23 

Independent   Stacker    234 

Indian  Corn,  Threshing  ....  203 

Indicated  Horse  Power  ....  78 

Injector    20 

Injector  Failing  to  Work...  21 

Inserting   Common   Sieves..  172 


„                                   Jack  for  Horse  Power 135 

Jack,  Lifting     61 

Hand  Feeding 227      Jack,  Screw    61 

Hand-Hole  Plates,  Packing.   114      Jacks,    Bolster    151 

252 


K 

Page 

Kaffir  Corn,  Threshing-   ....  203 

Keys,  Drawing  Taper    208 

Keys,  Fitting    208 

Keys,  Taper    207 

Keys,  Feather     207 


Page 

No.   3  "Weigher     244 

No.  4  Bagger      245 

No.   5  Loader      245 

No.  6  Loader  .   245 


Lacing  Canvas   Belts    216 

Lacing  Leather  Belts 213 

Lacing  Rubber   Belts    215 

Lamp   Black   Paint    113 

Laying  up  a  Separator   —  .  222 

Lead   of  Valve    100 

Leather  Belts    211 

Leveling  a  Separator 151 

Lining   up   Eng.   and   Sep...  61 

Link  Reverse  Valve  Setting  103 

Linseed  Oil,  Paint 113 

Loader,   No.    5 245 

Loader,   No.    6 245 

Locking  the  Differential  ...  127 

Lost  Motion  in  Engine   ....  50 

Low  Water 16 

Lubricating  the  Engine    ...  43 

Lubricating  the  Gearing     . .  122 

Lubricating  Horse    Powers.  132 
Lubricating  Separators    .148-219 

Lubricating  Wind     Stackers  237 

Lubrication  of  Cylinder    ...  44 

Lubricator,  Attaching    48 

Lubricator,  Operating    48 

Lubricator    Troubles     49 

Lucerne   Threshing    199 

M 

Main  Engine  Bearing 54 

Main  Cylinder    Pulleys     ....  155 

Main  Drive    Belt    212 

Maize,  Threshing 203 

Marsh    Pump,    Starting    ....  23 

Millet,  Threshing   190 

Mud   Hofces    63 

Mud  Hooks 64 

N 

Nailed  Pulley  Covers 209 

New  Separator,  Starting  ...  147 

Nozztes,   Exhaust    42 

No.   1   Weigher    242 

No.  2  Weigher    244 


Oats,  Threshing   185 

Oil,  Cost   of    45 

Oil,  Cylinder    44 

Oil,  Firing    with    39 

Oil,  Fuel  Value  of 40 

Oil,  Hard     45 

Oil  Pump,  Attaching 46 

Oiling  a  Separator    148 

Oiling  Attached    Stackers...  234 

Oiling  Cannon   Bearings    . , .  121 

Oiling  Combined   Stacker    . .  239 

Oiling  Engine     43 

Oiling  Differential  Gear   ...  128 

Oiling  Feeder    229 

Oiling  Friction    Clutch    125 

Oiling  Governor   73 

Oiling  Separator     148 

Oiling  Tailings    Elevator    ..  176 

Oiling  Trucks     220 

Oiling  Valve  of  Engine  ....  44 

Oiling  Wind    Stacker    237 

Old  Boiler,  Testing  an    117 

Old  Boiler,  Danger  of  Using  117 

Operating  Attached     Stacker  234 

Operating  Combined   Stacker  239 

Operating  Lubricator     48 

Operating  Wind    Stacker    ..  235 

Orchard  Grass,   Threshing. .  201 


Packing  Center  Head  of  En- 
gine       87 

Packing  Cylinder  Head  ....  69 

Packing  Governor    73 

Packing  Hand-Hole    Plates  114 

Packing  Piston  Rod   69 

Packing  Pump    27 

Packing  Steam  Chest  Cover  69 

Packing  Swift    Lubricator. .  50 

Packing  Valve  Rod 69 

Packing  Valve  Stem 69 

Packing  Water   Glass    19 


253 


Page 

Painting  the  Boiler 113 

Parts  for  Horse  Powers   ...   142 

Pea  Pulleys     194 

Pea  Threshing    191 

Peas,  Special  Cylinder  for..   159 

Peanut  Pulleys   205 

Peanut  Threshing   204 

Peep  Hole   38 

Penberthy  Injector   20 

Piston.   Engine    68 

Pop  Safety  Valve    109 

Port,  Exhaust   66 

Port,  Steam    66 

Pounding  of  an  Engine  ....  56 
Pounding  of  Straw  Rack...  168 
Pressure  for  an  Old  Boiler.  117 

Priming     112 

Prony  Brake   78 

Pulleys  for  Cylinder  Shaft.   155 

Pulleys,   Covering    209 

Pulley-Covers,  Nailed 209 

Pulley-Covers,    Riveted 209 

Pump,  Independent   23 

Pump    Packing     27 

Pump,  Starting     23 

Pump  Troubles    24-27 


Rated  Horse  Power    75 

Red-Top-Grass,  Threshing  .  202 
Regrlnding  Check  Valves  . .  29 

Removing  the  Ashes   41 

Removing  the  Beater    222 

Removing  the  Conveyor   ....   223 

Removing  the  Fan    224 

Removing  the  Rock-Shaft..  223 

Removing  the  Shoe  224 

Removing  the  Straw  Rack..  223 
Removing  Spur-Wheel  Shaft  137 

Removing  Taper  Keys    208 

Repairing   Heater    31 

Reverse  Gear  for  Engine  . .  89 
Reversing  Gearing  of  H.  P.  138 
Reversing  Tumbling  Rod  ..  138 

Rice   Pulleys    197 

Rice,  Threshing1   195 

Riveted  Pulley  Covers 209 

Rocking  Grates    41 

Rock   Shaft,   Removing 223 


Page 

Rubber  Belts  211 

Rye,    Threshing    184 


Safety  Plug     17,  110 

Safety  Valve      109 

Scraping  the  Tubes 115 

Screens     172 

Screens,  List  of   174 

Seed,  Weight  per  Bushel...   240 

Self-Feeders     228 

Separating,  Difficulty  of  ...  180 

Separator,  Belts  for   211 

Separator,  Belting     210 

Separator,  Canvas  Cover  for  222 

Separator,  Care   of    221 

Separator  Cylinder    153 

Separator,  Feeding  the 227 

Separator,  Laying   up    222 

Separator,  Leveling  the    ...   150 

Separator  Lubrication    219 

Separator,  New     147 

Separator,  Oiling    the    148 

Separator,  Pulleys  for 207 

Separator,  Setting   up    147 

Separator,  Setting    the    ....  145 

Separator,  Side  Gear    134 

Separator,  Starting  a 147 

Setting  as   to   Wind    152 

Setting  the  Concaves    160 

Setting  the  Engine   61 

Setting  the  Horse  Power  ..  132 

Setting  the  Separator     150 

Setting  up  Separator   150 

Setting  the  Valve,   Com- 
pound       102 

Setting  Valve,   Link  Rev...   103 
Setting  Valve,    Woolf   Rev..     98 

Shoe,  Removing    224 

Shoe,  Waste    at    179 

Side  Gear  for  Separator  ....   134 

Sieves     170 

Sieves,  Adjustable    170 

Sieves,  Common    171 

Sieves,  Common,  List  of  ...  174 

Sieves,  To  Insert    172 

Simple   Engine    66 

Slide-Valve     66 


254 


s 

Page 
Slip  of  Valve,  Woolf  Gear..     99 

Smoke  Box     41 

Smoke  Box,    Painting    113 

Smoke  Stack 113 

Soft  Plug     17,  110 

Solid  Boxes,  Babbitting 224 

Soy  Beans,   Threshing 193 

Special  Concaves    161 

Special  Cylinders,    Sep 159 

Special  Cylinders,  Beans  ..  194 
Special  Cylinders,  Peas  ....  194 
Special  Cylinders,  Rice  .159-194 
Special  High  Grouters  ....  64 

Special  Straw  Rack    168 

Speed,  Ascertaining   Cyl....  155 

Speed    of  Engine   73 

Speed    of  Pan    170 

Speed    of  Feeder    231 

Speed    of  Separator    Cyl. 154-156 

Speed    of  Straw  Rack    167 

Speed  of  Tumbling  Rod  . . .  134 
Speed  of  "Wind  Stacker  Fan  238 

Speltz,  Threshing 190 

Split   Box,    Babbitting    226 

Spur   Pinions,    Horse   Power  134 

Spur  Wheel  Shaft,  H.  P 139 

Stackers,  Attached    233 

Stackers,  Combined     238 

Stackers,  Common     232 

Stackers,  Independent    234 

Stackers,  Oiling   Attached    .    234 
Stackers,  Operating  At- 
tached      234 

Stackers,  Straw    233 

Stackers,  Wind     234 

Stack  Building,  Wind  Stack- 
er     235 

Starting  Engine   11 

Starting  Horse  Power 131 

Starting  Injector    20 

Starting  Marsh   Pump    23 

Starting  Separator     147 

Starting  Traction  Gearing..     12 

Steam  Admission    67 

Steam  Chest     66 

Steam  Cut-Off  67 

Steam  Expansion   67 

Steam  Gage    107 

Steam  Gage  Siphon 108 


S 

Page 

Steam  Ports     66 

Steam,  Temperature   of 120 

Steel  Cable,  Use  of 64 

Steering  Engine   60 

Straining  the  Feed  Water. .      15 

Straw,    Firing   with    35 

Straw,  Fuel  Value  of 40 

Straw-Rack    167 

Straw-Rack   Boxes    168 

Straw-Rack  Fish-Backs    . . .   168 

Straw-Rack,  Oregon 168-187 

Straw-Rack,  Pounding  of..  168 
Straw-Rack,  Removing  ....  223 

Straw-Rack,  Special    168 

Straw-Rack,  Speed   of    167 

Straw-Rack,  Texas    203 

Straw  Stackers   233 

Sweating     119 

T 

Tables      of      Weights      and 

Measures    232 

Tailings     177 

Tailings  Elevator,  Adjusting  176 
Tailings  Elevator,  Oiling...  176 

Tailings   Elevator,    The 173 

Tank,  Contractors   130 

Tank-Pump    130 

Tank,  Tender     129 

Tank,  Water    129 

Taper-Keys     207 

Taper-Keys,    Drawing    208 

Teeth,  Cylinder     153 

Teeth    Tracking    157 

Testing  Boiler 117-118 

Testing  Water-Heater 31 

Tenders,  Engine   129 

Throttle     71 

Throttle,   Leaky    71 

Threshing,  Alfalfa     199 

Threshing,  Barley    186 

Threshing,  Bean  193 

Threshing   Brome   Grass....    202 

Threshing,  Buckwheat     189 

Threshing,  Emmer     190 

Threshing,   Flax    188 

Threshing,  Headed  Grain...  181 
Threshing,  Indian  Corn  ...  203 
Threshing,  Kaffir  Corn  203 


255 


Page 

Threshing1,  Lucerne   199 

Threshing-,  Maize     203 

Threshing,  Millet     190 

Threshing,  Oats    185 

Threshing,  Orchard    Grass..  201 

Threshing,  Peanuts     204 

Threshing,  Peas      191 

Threshing,  Red  Top  Grass..  202 

Threshing,  Rice    195 

Threshing,  Rye     184 

Threshing,  Soy  Beans    193 

Threshing,  Speltz     190 

Threshing,  Timothy    200 

Threshing,  Turkey-Wheat    .  184 

Threshing,  Waste    in    178 

Threshing,  Wheat    182 

Tightener    Pulley,    Oiling 149 

Timothy,   Threshing    200 

Tracking  of  Teeth 157 

Traction  Parts,  Starting  the  12 

Traction  Gearing 121 

Trucks,  Greasing     220 

Tubes,  Beading     115 

Tubes,  Cleaning     115 

Tubes,  Expanding    115 

Tubes,  Leaky     115 

Tumbling-Rod,   Reversing..  138 

Tumbling-Rod,    Speed  of...  134 

Turkey-Wheat,    Threshing..  184 


Valve,  Check     28 

Valve,  Compound   85 

Valve  Gear     89 

Valve  Gear,  Woolf    91 

Valve  Gear,  Disturbing 96 

Valve  Lead     100 

Valve  Oil     44 

Valve,  Pop,   Safety    109 

Valve,  Portable  Engine  ....  102 

Valve-Seat    66 

Valve,  Setting,    Compounded  202 
Valve,  Setting,  Link  Reverse  103 
Valve,  Setting,  Portable  En- 
gine       102 

Valve  Setting,    Woolf   Re- 
verse       98 


Page 

Valve-Slip     99 

Valve,  if    Disturbed    96 

Valve  Lubrication    44 

Valve,  Slide    66 

Valve,  Wide  End  of  Slide..  67 

Various   Fuels,    Firing   with  33 

W 

Wa-gon-Box,   Contents   of...   248 

Washing   the  Boiler 113 

Waste  at   Shoe    179 

Waste  in   Separating    179 

Waste  in  Threshing   178 

Water,  Feed     15 

Water,  Foaming     Ill 

Water-Gauge     18 

Water-Glass,   Broken    20 

Water-Glass,  Packing   19 

Water-Heater    29 

Water,  Low    16 

Water,  Priming    112 

Water  Tanks     129 

Water,  Temperature  of  ....   120 

Weigher,  No.  1   242 

Weigher,  No.  2    244 

Weigher,  No.   3    244 

Weigher  Troubles    246 

Weight  of  Grain 240-242 

Wheat,  Kernels    per    Bushel  178 

Wheat,  Threshing    182 

Wheat,  Threshing   Turkey..  184 

"White-Caps"   in  Wheat 184 

Wind-Board     170 

Wind-Stacker    234 

Wind-Stacker  Fan   Speed...  238 
Wind-Stacker,    Lubricating.  237 
Wind-Stacker,  Operating    . .  235 
Wind-Stacker    Stack    Build- 
ing      \ 237 

Wood,  Firing  with    34 

Wood,  Fuel  Value  of 39 

Woolf  Compound,  The 84 

Woolf  Reverse,  Setting 

Valve    98 

Woolf  Valve  Gear 91 

Work  of  Horses 140 


256 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  LOS  ANGELES 

THE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below 


jfl  13 1965 


ANGELES 


A  001  072  555  4 


S699 
M17s 
1S11 


